Inheritance
by Bridge Over The Creek
Summary: Weiss is the princess of Schnee lineage, a family that has ruled over Atlas for generations. With a powerful hereditary semblance, she's a sought after jewel. The Hunters get to her first, and she finds herself paired with another Huntress-to-be with a destiny just as terrific as hers. As they grow together, war brews and political intrigue stirs. The White Fang comes. Legend!AU
1. Prologue

"And you're certain she'll be arriving today? On time?"

"Absolutely."

Weiss' father sighed, slumping in his throne. He pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, taking a breath. "Very well. See to it that she gets here. On. Time."

The envoy bowed low, his cloak brushing on the marble floor. A long blade stuck out from beneath, hung slanted on his lower back. Him and the king had been talking for a long time, in hushed tones that Weiss was unable to catch. He then stood straight and turned on his heel, leaving without a word. Weiss watched the meeting from a balcony high above overseeing the massive throne room, from front doors to the huge, stone throne her father sat in.

A feeling of nervousness swept through her stomach, and she leaned against a stone pillar. _She's going to be here today._ The thought was almost overwhelming.

Weiss was beyond eager; she'd spent all her life waiting for this date, a pivotal point in what would be her very own Schnee legacy. All of Atlas, nay, Remnant, would recognize her above everyone else, and this woman would be the foundation of it all.

She clutched an azure brooch pinned to the bosom of her white dress. It was royal, inlaid into a crest of white silver, snug and secure. It was a nervous habit, and she huffed in annoyance when she caught herself doing it.

The sound of heels clicking determinedly towards her caused Weiss to spin around, drawing herself together and putting on a face of calm, lethal composer. She didn't recognize the person coming, half shadowed by the lightless balcony. However, she did make out a long hilt sticking out from beneath a tattered cloak. A feeling of awe washed over as she realized it must be the envoy, whom she'd seen on multiple occasions but had never had a chance meeting with.

The opportunity to find out about her new "knight" was electrifyingly attractive for Weiss. "Excuse me, sir, but-"

The man came to an abrupt halt beneath a particularly long and thick shadow, only a few feet away from where Weiss currently stood. "Weiss Schnee, heiress, particularly gifted." He said, his voice dripping in honeyed sarcasm. Weiss was shocked and gaped for a moment, before catching herself.

She curtsied to him, forcing a smile. "Yes, indeed. And your name is?"

"Wonderfully irrelevant to yourself."

"Oh, well, yes. See, I was curious about what you told my father about the huntress, my soon-to-be-partner?"

"That's nice."

Weiss patiently waited for a moment, grimacing as her temper flared. This man was potentially the most insolent cretin she'd ever had to deal with. "Right. Well. I would be forever in your debt if you could maybe tell me something about, er, her."

The man laughed, as if there was some secrete joke. "Her name's Ruby. Have a good day, your _highness._ " He bowed with a comical flourish, and Weiss started to take a step forward, deciding that if she wanted anything from him she'd have to be stern. She froze mid-step, blinking furiously. Where the man had been standing there was now an empty shadow, and the soundless departure left her shaken.

Disgruntled and thrown off, she quickly backtracked to a stairwell that lead down to the throne room floor, a more well lit area that put her in sight of the guards. She flattened out her expression when her father turned to look at her, his piercing blue eyes borrowing into her. There was a deep look of thought on his face, then a movement of his head she didn't quite understand.

Rather than ask questions, she smiled politely and came to stand next to him. "I hope your meeting went well, father."

He scoffed. "Do not pretend with me, Weiss. I knew you were there the entire time. It does not concern me, either."

Weiss shifted on her feet, grasping her hands in front of her. "I was just curious."

He chuckled, a dry mirthless sound, one almost like what she'd gotten from the envoy. "You'd do well to not act upon the curiosity so much, Weiss. This kingdom is full of people who don't wish to have ears of the crown listening in on their conversations."

Weiss bowed her head in shame. Of course, he was right. "I am deeply sorry, father."

When she looked back up after a lengthy quiet, she found him wearing a softer expression. "Child, you're not ready for this."

The statement was made with such an air of certainty that Weiss felt the blow like a punch to her gut. Fear and panic spread through her like wildfire."Father, please, don't send her away when she gets here." It was something he'd talked to her about on multiple occasions already.

He sighed, running a hand down his face and tugging on his miraculously well kempt moustache. "I have three quarters of a mind to do so. The other quarter sorrows at the thought of seeing your talent go to waste."

Weiss beamed at the compliment, standing straighter and raising her chin.

"However, if the lands are so dangerous that not even huntsmen and huntresses can walk them alone, what chance do you stand?"

"That's why I'll have her, father! She'll train me, and I'll become strong, stronger than any Schnee to have ever been!"

Her father laughed coldly. "Child, you do not know. But you shall."

The comment was so ominously chilling that Weiss fell silent, no longer willing to carry on the conversation.

"May I leave, then, father?"

"Go."

Weiss left, going back to where she had come, wearily glancing from side to side for signs of the envoy. Thankfully, he had seemed to vanish, traceless. It made her breathe a little easier, if not unnerve her. _Are all of them like that?_

She traveled to a set of stone stairs, following them downwards at a spiral until she came to an open rampart. The wind up here was fierce, so there were plenty of handholds for her to grasp along the way. It was a secluded part of the castle, rarely used by the guards due to the inability to access it from the outside. It posed to be a weak point in the castle's defences that was irrelevant due to the sheer difficulty to access it unless from within the throne room.

She pushed through another set of doors into a room that blasted her with warm air, her own quarters. A fire in a massive, stone hearth illuminated it in a red orange glow, giving it a cozy atmosphere when compared to the steel grey sky outside.

With a sigh, Weiss undressed herself down to her bare skin. She needed to take an hour or two to gather herself and be prepared for the fierce warrior she was preparing to meet. If the envoy had given off such an awe-demanding aura, she could only imagine what the woman would be like.

She settled down into a soft feather bed mattress, plush wolf fur blankets silky smooth against her skin. Weiss took a deep breath, stretching out as far as her body would allow her and in short time, fell into a slumber.

She came to sometime later, a small but easily ignored headache behind her eyes. The visibility had gone down, the fire reduced to a few smouldering logs that still gave off enough heat to keep her warm while atop the blankets.

Outside the wind seemed to howl, as if calling for someone. Weiss sat up, her sleepiness forgotten by a small realization. Reaching for a grey pair of robes threaded with silver designs draped on her bedpost, she pulled them close around her slim form, tying them together by a thin cloth braid and moving for the rampart door. Anticipation quickened her step and she flung the door open, stepping out into a cold, rainy night barefoot. The stone was cold and rough beneath her, but she hardly cared.

Two braziers on either side of the stone portcullis at the end of the open walkway illuminated the doorway, outlining the form of a figure about her height. Unconsciously, Weiss tensed, alarmed by the stillness of the person before her.

"Princess, I was just coming looking for you. The huntress arrived a few hours ago and-"

"Lead me to her!" Weiss demanded, immediately forgetting her worries and forgoing any pleasantries. Excitement overtook her and she stepped forward.

"You may consider dressing for the occasion-"

"Needless formalities. This is the woman whom will be my mentor, then partner." Weiss explained impatiently, the woman moving aside before Weiss had even made it to the opening.

"Very well, princess." She said, a small hint of amusement on her voice. Weiss was curious, not used to hearing such undertones with the palace staff, but let it go, pre-occupied as it was. Her mind was racing with ideas of the person she was going to meet, ranging from images of a battle hardened war maiden in steel and leather to a more elegant fighter, similar in posture to the envoy she'd seen earlier. In fact, that seemed for likely, as they had been traveling together.

Weiss paused at the balcony, looking down into the throne room. No one but a red hooded woman stood there, alone in the middle of the room. She looked legendary; standing draped in a long, scarlet cloak, alone in the middle of a room so important to the history of all of Remnant that not many people saw it unless born into the castle itself. She looked like a conqueror. Weiss' heart pounded, and she had to fight down the urge to call out to this warrior. Her feet made nary a sound, gliding her down the polished stones to the bottom floor in utter silence.

Weiss emerged from behind the throne, hands clasped in front of her as she put on her most royal of expressions, jaw set and eyes burning with the passion of an upcoming lifetime.

The woman turned to face her, just barely a few inches shorter than Weiss, whom was already short of height.

From somewhere above there came an amused titter.

"Greetings," Weiss said, curtsying to the huntress, "And welcome to Coldfort. I'm Weiss Schnee and I am very pleased to finally meet you."

The woman stepped forward, face shadowed by her deep hood. She raised two pale hands up to the hem and pushed it back.

A gasp escaped from between Weiss' lips, who gawked in utter disbelief.

A pair of dazzling silver eyes looked into her own, a brilliant smile splitting her face.

"Hiya! I'm Ruby Rose and I am really, totally pleased to meet you... Too!"

* * *

 _ **Hi! The story is set for a long, slowburn fantasy White Rose AU full of nice plot and great fluff/angst. I'm coining this as the Legend!AU and that's final. Please, enjoy and look forward to more. I may be splitting up my time in order to write this story and another White Rose modern AU. The first chapter to that can be found as the fifth chapter for Once Upon a Oneshot, if you're curious. If it does become its own story, that chapter will be removed and it shall get it's own story.**_

 _ **Please note: cover art for this would be DEEPLY appreciated. I'd do it myself but my tablet pen seems to have quite vanished.**_


	2. Arc I: A Cold Inheritance

_**YOU GUYS ARE RIDICULOUS. 48 Follows on the first chapter? WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING.**_

 _ **Anyhow, I REALLY hope you all enjoy the rest of the story. I'll be doing my best to make it live up to everyone's standards! Also, I hate timeskips, so don't get used to them.**_

* * *

Ruby's hand was tight on Weiss' forearm, who huddled against the other girl in fear of being seen.

It had been two months since they'd met each other, and in those two months they'd grown to despise one another, forgive each other, and finally get to a point where they may not have been friends, but weren't enemies.

In those two months, neither had done much together except spar. Tonight, however, Ruby had had a _wonderful_ idea and Weiss had gotten herself mixed up in it.

They were hiding in a broom closet, door slightly ajar so that Ruby could peek out carefully. She wasn't wearing her iconic cloak tonight, instead sporting soft leggings and a white shirt, embroidered with silver and red threads. Weiss herself had only thrown on a pale blue gown.

"Do you see-"

"Shush." Ruby hissed back, interrupting Weiss' question. She huffed quietly, but shifted into the closet more, seeking the shadows. Ruby stayed frozen like a statue for several hair-raising seconds. The sounds of a door closing shut echoed through the hall.

"Okay. Looks good to me." Ruby announced, her voice still hushed. Something about what they were dong demanded their secrecy.

They stepped out from the closet and quietly shut the door behind them, both breathing sighs of relief. "That was close, Weissy."

"Agreed." Weiss said dryly, ignoring the aggravating nickname Ruby had bestowed upon her.

"So, now where?"

Weiss paused to think. They were deep in the heart of the castle, standing just outside the inner sanctum. They were trying to make it to the terrace towers at the front walls, but in order to get there they'd have to stay unseen while traversing some of the most heavily manned hallways in the entire keep.

"I don't know if we can do this, Ruby..."

"Course we can! You wouldn't believe the things I've done in my life."

Weiss looked at her with weariness and uncertainty. She was reluctant to get Ruby in trouble, but even more reluctant to raise the ire of her father. "I think it would be unwise."

Ruby let go of Weiss' forearm, who had forgotten about Ruby's grip on it altogether. She rubbed the warm spot on her arm, aware of the numbness. "I haven't seen the front end of this place since I got here. I really wanna see Coldfort at night, Weissy!" Ruby pleaded, and Weiss sighed. If only they had semblances. _But no, Father stalled training for another year._

They had also been denied access to any of the outside world.

"C'mon, Weiss! Come on!" Ruby pushed her, dragging the last word out as she amusingly growled.

Weiss, a sudden urge to disobey her father rising within her anyways, gave a nod. "Alright, then, but we'll have to go through the kitchens. They'll at least get us past some of the guards."

Ruby fist pumped the air with a yes, grabbing Weiss' forearm again. "Alright, direct me."

"That way." Weiss said, pointing to the door that had closed earlier. Ruby sped off at once, Weiss working hard to keep up. Their bare feet padded silently on the smooth wood floor, and the door made no sound as Ruby slowly opened it. It revealed a set of stairs that aimed downwards, and Weiss pushed past her and dashed for them, hissing a "Run!" as she went.

Just as soon as Ruby slipped in and shut the door, the sounds of heavy boots echoed outside. "Oh!" Ruby yelped, and Weiss heard her catching up as they bolted down the stairs into a lit room that smelt like every kind of food one could think of. The night was still early, so breakfast wasn't being prepared yet.

Weiss gave her a look, and Ruby simply shrugged. Weiss' heart was beating a million miles every other second, and she hardly dared speak. Judging from Ruby's tenseness, she was feeling the same.

"Come on, then. Let's go." Weiss said, adrenaline rushing through her. She had seen the guard's shadow, and had almost called out in warning. Thankfully, her intelligence won out and she ran for the stairs, but she had worried about Ruby. Apparently, Ruby had moved fast enough.

"Right-o." Ruby agreed, and this time Weiss took the lead. They entered the massive kitchen, cold and dark. On their way to the opposite end, Ruby broke off for a moment, coming back quickly and holding a cloth bag the size of two fists.

"What is _that?"_ Weiss asked quietly, ears tuned for any noises not belonging to the two of them.

"Strawberries." Ruby said happily.

Weiss sighed, unable to keep an amused smile off her face. The staff would be puzzled, no doubt.

They reached another set of stairs, lit by one lonely torch hanging on the wall midway up. At this point Ruby took the lead, naturally grabbing Weiss' arm again.

They moved deliberately slowly, aware that they were closer to the forward rooms of the keep and that patrols would be present. The door opened soundlessly into a hall with multiple branching hallways. The sounds of footfalls and voices from somewhere far away reached them, and so they stepped out into the dimly lit area and made for a shadow. There they listened, and waited.

"-and I'm just trying to say that with the recent Orc activity up here in Atlas, I'm worried." A male voice said, sounding young.

"I think you're overreacting. With the Crown finally allying with the Hunter's Guild, our united forces will crush them again. It's only a matter of time." This voice was female, deep and confident. Ruby tightened her grip on Weiss' arm; they were drawing closer.

"Unless they don't." The man pointed out, and the female laughed.

"I'll let you hit me if that happens. Which, if we're being honest, you couldn't do if I were standing still."

The male huffed, and suddenly the two came into view. They were both of same height, wearing the familiar white tabards and silver mail of the palace guard. The woman's hair, like the man's, was platinum blonde, a common Atlesian trait.

Ruby's grip was so tight Weiss almost hissed at her.

"Hey, wanna grab a bite to eat quickly?" The woman asked.

"What if we're caught?"

"You can eat _me_ if you want." The female said hotly. The two were standing a few feet from them.

"I-I mean, sure, if you're hungry and all we can go get some food and stuff and maybe-"

"C'mon, hot stuff."

Weiss let out a breath she forgot she'd been holding. Beside her Ruby let go, slumping against the wall.

"That was really awkward." Ruby mumbled, and Weiss couldn't help but grin. Since she was little she'd been catching the guards doing such things. It was no surprise to her.

"It'll be even worse if we're still here when they come back. Now, come on."

They padded forward silently, and with every passing second Weiss grew more adventurous. They kept their senses alert and skittered down hallways like mice, sticking to shadows and moving fast. They encountered a few more guards, most of them easily passable. No one remained stationary in the keep, a strategy to throw off intruders. However, it worked against them when insiders knew the patterns and nooks of the keep.

In another ten minutes, they were climbing the spiral steps of a long tower, having left a patrol down below only narrowly. There was a hatch door up above, and Ruby pushed it open with her superior height. She crawled up and through and knelt down, holding out a hand for Weiss to take.

She grasped it tightly, grimacing at how hot and sweaty it felt. She almost fell, but Ruby was able to successfully pull it off.

They closed the door and stood up, both feeling elated by their incredible success.

"That was probably the coolest thing I've _ever_ done." Ruby told her with a smile, her silver eyes wide and sparkling.

"It was pretty..."

"Fun? Awesome?"

"Yes, I suppose." Weiss agreed with a sigh, and Ruby giggled.

They then walked over to the railing of the roofed tower, and Ruby breathed in obvious wonder. Weiss had seen the sight many times before, so the dazzling sights didn't really have a new effect on her, though they were absolutely breathtaking.

Below them, the entire city of Coldfort sprawled out, large and grandly lit. A giant clockwork tower could be seen in the midst of it all, internally lit from hundreds of torches. The docks were visible from here as well, the outlines of thousands of boats visible in the pale moonlight. Huge, impenetrable gates connected to a stonewall that wrapped around to the mountain ranges behind Coldfort hugged the city in tight together, like a giant protector. It was the main defence of the entire kingdom, along with the jagged terrain of the Cold Spine, the mountains behind them.

"Wow," Ruby breathed, "This is... Wow."

"Very pretty." Weiss said, putting both hands on the cool stone and leaning forward a bit. The brisk night air was cold but refreshing, and she took a long smell of it, filling her lungs with the atmosphere.

"Yeah." Ruby agreed. "Guess your father can't really control us that well, can he?"

Weiss smiled, for the first time appreciating Ruby's company. "No, not at all. Are you surprised? Between the two of us, princess and huntress, we're a deadly duo."

Ruby turned her head and looked at Weiss with a wide lopsided grin. Her hair was messy and frizzled, and there was a lathering of sweat that made her face look clammy in the poor light.

Regardless, Weiss felt her heart swell. She knew that Ruby was a friend, now. A friend she'd probably not trade in for a trained hunter, no matter how spectacular they were with their weapons or semblances. Someday Ruby would get there. They'd get there together.

"You know, Weiss, you're kind of cool."

Weiss beamed, knowing Ruby was being honest. If anything, Weiss had realized that Ruby was a terrible liar and incredibly outspoken when she wasn't flustered.

"Thank you. You're pretty capable, yourself."

They then spent the rest of the night watching the city below, and when they climbed back down when the sun was rising, Weiss requested to be discreetly escorted back to her quarters by a guard she personally knew. She'd known they'd be situated in the particular hall on morning duty, and it had worked out perfectly.

Ruby immediately undressed herself and fell into Weiss' own bed, wrapping herself in blankets and burying her head in a feather pillow.

"You do realize that's my bed."

"You don't mind."

Weiss glared solemnly at Ruby's bundled form for a moment before huffing and silently agreeing that she really didn't care. The bed was big enough for the two of them, after all.

She crawled in beside Ruby and closed her eyes. There was a brief moment before fatigue set in, but when it did, she immediately fell asleep, Ruby's body heat and the fire warmth lulling her quickly into a slumber.

* * *

"Weiss."

"Hmm?" Weiss looked up from her book, curious. Ruby stood at the entrance of the study, a serious expression on her face. It clashed with the frilly pink dress she wore, topped with a bow.

"I was thinking. What if your father decides to just kick me out?"

Weiss sighed, her own worries being voiced out loud. Supposedly, Qrow, the envoy, was on his way to Coldfort. They knew this because of their sleuthing about, a common activity they'd become quite skilled at. "Then I guess I go with you."

Ruby looked surprised at the words, but then she frowned, taking a seat on the cushioned bench beside Weiss. "You're a princess, and this is your kingdom. Won't your dad have, you know. Issues?"

Weiss huffed. "Of course he would. But he'd also lose his alliance with the Hunters, something he can't afford. The White Fang and their armies of Grimm are not forces to take lightly."

Ruby hummed thoughtfully. "So, you think we'll still be partners, and learn to be the best hunters together?"

Weiss rolled her eyes at Ruby's juvenile tendencies, despite the fact that she felt good about Ruby caring so much about them staying together. "Yes, Ruby. I think it will be fine. You needn't worry."

Ruby breathed in relief, slumping against Weiss, who huffed in annoyance as she dropped her book in her lap. "Good. I'd hate to have to become friends with another spoiled brat."

"Excuse me?" Weiss snapped, and Ruby laughed.

"I'm kidding. But, let's be honest, right?"

Weiss bit her tongue. Ruby was maybe a little right. At Weiss' silent admission, Ruby cheered in victory.

Weiss sighed and picked up her book, finding her page again. Ruby stretched out and rested her head on Weiss' leg, who minded a little bit but didn't mind at the same time. Such was their relationship, three months in.

The knock came a few hours later, a sharp battering on their door. Ruby's head popped up like a Sheppard, eyes wide and intense, ears perked. Weiss herself jumped, having been in a half sleep state at this point.

"Do you think it's about him?"

"Likely." Weiss responded, and Ruby took off at a running pace, ripping the door open.

"M-Miss Rose... Where is the lady?"

"Weiss!"

Weiss cringed, imagining what it must sound like to the staff to hear Ruby call her by her first name. "Coming, Ruby." She called, setting her book down and straightening her own black dress, accented with white lace and ribbons. Her hair had been done up into an off-center ponytail, and she wore a crystalline tiara on the crown of her head.

The caller was an old woman with a leathery face, her eyes small and beady. She had a pleasant smile, her gray hair pulled around her in head in a French braid style. "Your Grace," She said, bowing. Weiss smiled at her, realizing with amusement that after spending so much time with Ruby alone, formalities felt strange to her.

The woman eyed Ruby strangely.

"Mesilla. I assume you're here for us?"

"You're always a sharp one. Yes, the envoy has arrived."

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby said excitedly, her voice high pitched. Mesilla looked at her queerly, then gave Weiss a questioning look.

"She's like this. All the time." Weiss said flatly, though the small smile on her face told that she really didn't mind. Mesilla nodded and swept out of the way for the two of them to pass. Ruby hiked up her skirt and took off at a run, leaving the two of them far behind. Weiss sighed and stayed walking, though she dearly wanted to run with Ruby. Appearances were important, though.

"Miss Rose is going the wrong way, your Grace."

Weiss sighed. Of course she was. "Ruby! Wrong way, dolt!"

"Ooh!" Came the call, followed by a loud slap of flesh on stone that was followed up by the sound of heels clacking on the floor. Weiss shook her head and Mesilla looked appalled. Ruby caught back up to them, hair out of place and nursing both her palms.

"Ruby, you're helpless." Weiss huffed, immediately pushing Ruby in front of them so that she could work on fixing her hair.

"I can do that, your Grace. You shouldn't be doing such thing-"

"I'm perfectly capable, Mesilla."

Mesilla nodded in deference, directing them past the throne room and to a hallway that seemed to circle all the way around to the farthest corners of the keep. "Very good. The King and the envoy are in there awaiting you both."

Weiss finished retying Ruby's bow just then and waved Mesilla off, who curtsied and left them. "Turn and face me." Weiss demanded, and Ruby did so. Weiss felt a giggle escape her lips when she saw Ruby's ridiculously vibrant expression. She'd never seen such wide eyes in her life.

"Alright, you look fine. I may let you get away with being a disrespectful brute, but my father won't take kindly to it. Do try to watch your manners."

Ruby blew a strand of hair out of her face, which Weiss quickly put into place. "No worries, _your Grace_." Ruby mocked, curtsying dramatically. Weiss huffed, lightly swatting Ruby's shoulder. The brunette giggled.

"Are we ready?"

"Indeed."

"Enough of that." Weiss hissed, knocking lightly on the wooden door. It was plain and unremarkable.

"Come on in." Came the envoy's, Qrow's, voice, and Ruby squealed, obviously unable to contain herself for much longer. Weiss sighed and pushed the door open.

They stepped into a study lit by an open window and a candle. There was a single table with four chairs around it, a desk with quills and parchments and other assorted writing tools messily scattered on its surface, and a pair of bookshelves, filled with titles.

Qrow and her father stood leaning over a map opened fully on the table. Her father gave her a stony look, and Weiss could tell by the red of his face that he was indeed flustered. Qrow seemed much more relaxed, but his face was grim.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby exclaimed, disregarding the royal company and running around to hug the man. "Did ya miss me?"

He looked down at her with disdain, before giving her a crooked grin. "Nope."

Ruby laughed. "Well, I have had a really grea-"

"Miss Rose!" The King snapped, and Ruby immediately snapped to attention. Qrow sighed, but said nothing. Weiss herself moved to stand by her father's side, giving Ruby a I-told-you-so look. "Do try to contain yourself in my presence."

"I'm sorry, your Grace." Ruby apologized quietly, curtsying properly. Qrow put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"Daughter. I hope you've been well."

"Thank you. Ruby has been a splendid friend."

Her father harrumphed, as if in disbelief. Weiss couldn't blame him, even if what she said was true. "As you may know, the both of you are to spend the rest of this year here in Coldfort." Ruby and Weiss gave one another a look, unseen by either of the two men. "I've been working it out with the Hunter's Gui-"

"To cut to the point, that deal is no longer in effect. You're both leaving tonight." Qrow interrupted, and Weiss shifted uncomfortably. _What a crude man. I can see the resemblance._ "Oh, and hello again, Weiss." She looked up at her father, who's face was set in a furious glare. He stayed silent.

"Uhm." Weiss awkwardly curtsied, not even considering reprimanding this man. Even her father seemed to give him leeway.

"I would appreciate it if you could show some deference in my castle, Qrow." Her father growled, and Qrow shrugged.

"Tight schedule. You want to tell them the whole story, write a book. I'll make sure it gets to them." He said playfully, and Weiss watched as Ruby tried not to laugh. When Ruby looked over at Weiss, she blanched at Weiss' promising glare.

"You have a knack for pushing buttons, envoy."

"And you're pretty good at stalling, yourself."

Her father's fists clenched, and for a moment, Weiss was concerned until he let them open with a sigh of defeat. "Very well. I have little to do with this matter; they are in the hands of the Hunter's Guild now."

"Father?" Weiss asked questioningly, a surprising amount of panic welling up in her chest.

"Behave, Weiss. And do not fail." Her father said coolly, expression dispassionate.

"Of course."

"As expected." Her father growled lowly, stalking out of the study with his hands clenched once again. The door slammed shut, and Weiss stared after it for a few moments.

"Weiss?" Qrow called, and she turned her attention to him immediately. "Right. So, the White Fang are far too dangerous for us to wait an entire year for your too proud father to allow training. Long story short, Remnant needs your summoning powers and needs it fast."

Weiss nodded, silent. A question suddenly burned in the back of her mind. "Why is it that Ruby is being taught so young?"

"Reasons." Qrow answered sharply, and Weiss snapped her mouth shut. She too found this Qrow aggravating. She twisted the fabric of her dress around her finger.

Ruby looked up at her uncle questioningly, but he ignored her. "Anyways, I'm here to bring you guys out to Vale, where you'll be far away from the White Fang and we'll be better able to train you."

"Isn't Atlas safe enough?" Weiss asked, the thought of traveling to the other side of the world harrowing.

Qrow gave her a look as if she was stupid. "An entire coast city was raided and burnt to the ground a few weeks back. Villages and other large settlements have been reporting attacks and raids from the Orcs and Grimm, and the King's army is failing to stop them at every turn. You're bo- You're too important to lose, and so the Hunter's Guild demanded you be brought to someplace safe."

Weiss felt her knees grow weak. Was it really that bad? She hadn't heard word of this, even while snooping around the castle grounds at night.

"And, to make matters worse, there have been reports of assassins in all the major cities of all the kingdoms. It's not safe to leave you unguarded, Weiss. We're doing this for your safety. For the entire world's safety."

Weiss looked down at her hands, realizing she'd been absolutely fine with waiting one more year. To leave Atlas, her birthplace, before she was even eighteen...

"Weiss?" Ruby asked softly, circling the table to stand beside her.

"What is the Hunter's Guild going to do for Atlas, then, in repay for its princess giving herself to them?"

Qrow began wrapping up the map, and Weiss could see red circles around three small cities within Atlas, along with a huge coastal city just inside the Atlas borders. "Half of our forces will be on their way to Atlas. With that much fighting power, we should be able to keep Atlas safe. For now."

"For now?"

Qrow packed the map into a pack and slung the brown bag across a shoulder. "Until you can join the battle."

Weiss stared into Qrow's scarlet eyes, and she realized that regardless, Ruby was going with him. "Qrow, could we talk?"

Qrow looked at Ruby, who was watching the exchange with obviously growing anxiety. Her fidgeting was so constant that Weiss was worried for her.

"Sure thing, princess." He said with a heavy sigh. Weiss smiled her appreciation, guessing that Qrow knew what it was they were going to discuss. "Ruby, could ya skip out a moment?"

"But-!"

"Get going, pipsqueak!" He said forcefully, and Ruby stuck Weiss with a glare.

"Okay..." Ruby mumbled.

She skulked past Weiss and slammed the door shut, leaving the two of them in the dark room together.

"What is it about Ruby that's so important, then?"

* * *

Weiss was quiet, internally puzzled. She kept glancing over at Ruby, who was just as quiet. There really wasn't much for either of them to pack, but Weiss did take the Grimm journal. She noted with brief amusement that Ruby had tried to secretly stuff the Atlas History into her own bag.

"Are you all right, Weiss?" Ruby asked, concern on her voice. She stood up from her packing, evidently finished. There was a wet sheen to her silver eyes that confused Weiss, but she didn't comment. Weiss paused in belting Myrtenaster to her waist, her specialized rapier.

Truth was, with the knowledge that her kingdom would be safe while she was away, she was excited to start her journey of becoming a legend. "I think I'll be fine." She answered truthfully.

Ruby smiled sadly, donning her red cloak. It clung to her like a thick drape, hiding everything under it. "Alright, then. You ready?"

Weiss nodded, and then paused. "Want to see the tower view one more time?"

Ruby's eyes lit up, smiling. "Definitely!"

They stood leaning against the rail, letting the chilly wind nip at their faces. They wore heavy traveling gear, for the season of winter was fast approaching. "What do you think it'll be like?" Weiss asked Ruby, genuinely curios.

"Awesome. The coolest thing either of us will have ever experienced." Ruby assured her confidently, and Weiss nodded. She thought so, too. "And we're going to do it together! A princess and a farmer's daughter. Who'd have thought, huh?"

Weiss nodded, her eyes taking in their last looks of Coldfort.

"Who'd have thought." She replied quietly.

* * *

 ** _This is just insane. I cannot believe the reception this got. Like, wow. Chapters following this will be less time-skipy and more detailed, so be prepared._**


	3. Arc I: Brooch

The night air was bitingly vicious, nipping unforgivingly at the tips of her ears and nose, turning them an irate red. Weiss shifted the leather blanket up closer to her face, moving closer to Qrow. He grunted in response, a puffy cloud of steam exploding from his nostrils.

High above them the moon shone brightly, illuminating everything well enough for safe travel down the mountain pass. The moon was like a watchful eye, Weiss thought, surrounded by its millions of unblinking helpers. _A watchful entity._ She corrected her previous thought.

On either side of them forests rose up like long, seeking tendrils, piercing the sky like spears as they rose and dispersed with the raised rocky ground. Regardless, they were long and shadowy, and every movement that Weiss caught with her peripheral vision caused her to grow more edgy. She wasn't used to this kind of travel, and she had long lost her eagerness for great adventuring. She'd have given anything for some sweet pampering.

Although Ruby's snores couldn't be heard, Weiss knew her friend was in the back doing just that. The brunette had retired long ago, probably seeking some protection from the bitter environment. Weiss was too anxious for sleep, her thoughts constantly rotating between her home and her future. Qrow probably didn't mind the company too much, either. At least, she hoped not.

"So, when and where are we stopping?" Weiss asked, speaking clearly. The wind was pretty loud up here, whistling and echoing through the peaks and natural eaves, and the crunch of the horse hooves on stone and snow didn't help.

"We stop when we need supplies, and or rest, and we stop where we can get supplies. And or rest." Qrow answered back, and Weiss huffed. She didn't like him, not at all. In addition, he smelled heavily of ales, and it made her wonder just who this _Guild_ was into hiring.

They had been on the road for two days, and had just left Atlas behind, a great white shadow that loomed behind them, watching them depart under the dark sky. Weiss had spent the entire day looking over her shoulder at it, the great mountains of Coldfort still somehow visible even this far away. Her heart had ached then and it ached now.

"So, what's it like out in Vale?"

Qrow spat into the wind. "A lot warmer than this is."

"Ha ha." Weiss deadpanned, and Qrow shrugged. "Regardless, if that's the case, move faster." Weiss mumbled, admittedly discomforted by the freezing climate around them. It's not that she wasn't used to it, she just wasn't used to long exposure to it.

Qrow chuckled, and took a hand off the reigns to reach under his cloak, pulling out a small object. It only took Weiss a moment to realize it was a flask. "Here. Take a swig, you'll feel better for it."

Weiss eyed it with distaste. "Er, no thanks. Really, I'm... F-f-fine." She chattered, shivering as a particularly strong gust of wind wormed its way in beneath all her covers and furs.

Qrow growled lowly, shoving the flask into her. "Take it and try it. I need both hands to do this."

Reluctantly, and still shivering, Weiss took the metal flask and brought it underneath the blanket, where she unscrewed the cap. She took a sniff and coughed, wrinkling her nose at it. "Eugh... It's so... Potent."

Qrow chuckled, giving her a grin. "You bet. That'll warm you up nicely, through and through."

"Right." Weiss mumbled through numbed lips. She took another weary sniff, deciding it smelt like whisky. _Well, that's not so bad._ She tried not to think too much about it having been used as she brought the cold metal to her mouth, the fumes strong enough to make her eyes water. The liquid poured down into her throat like dragon's fire, burning and searing everything it touched. She jerked the drink away with a violent cough, although she'd already swallowed the stuff. It burned its way into her stomach, leaving a trail that quickly became soothing. In the pit of her belly there was a heat that spread throughout her, immediately warming her limbs.

"That's... Strong." She coughed, screwing the cap back on and passing it to Qrow, who promptly unscrewed it again and took a mouthful of the foul stuff. He brought it back down and put it away, smacking his lips as he did so.

"Yeahp, that's the stuff. Does me good. Will do you good, too." He said.

"I highly doubt I'll be healthier for it." Weiss said, her eyes still watering. Tears had already frozen dry to her cheeks.

"You're not going to see Atlas again for awhile, princess." Qrow said, a hint of sympathy on his voice. Weiss frowned at the thought, even though she already knew it.

"I know. I came to terms with that when I decided to become a huntress."

Qrow nodded sagely. "Yeah, well, you'll be a sore one if you don't learn what it means to be one."

Weiss looked at him queerly, unsure what he meant. Was he asking her to tell him what being a huntress means? If so, she already knew. "It means honour, of course. And being able to do what other's cannot. It's my duty to protect the lower folks."

Qrow snorted. "You're going to be a poor huntress if you think that's all there is to it, Schnee." He said, voice cold. "Oh, look at me, I'm a princess and I've got special powers. I'm going to save the world and be a hero." His voice dripped with sarcasm, and Weiss felt offended. The word cretin almost fell out of her mouth.

"If you think that's why I'm going to be a huntress-"

"You're becoming a huntress because the Hunters need you to. But you're also becoming a huntress because you want the glory. Have I hit the mark? I probably have; you Schnee's have a pretty good track record for being the same." Qrow spat again, "Look, princess. There's a lot more that goes into being a hunter than you think. It comes with a lot of things, and morals are the entirety of it all. Anyone with a sword and a semblance can be a huntress, but only someone with the right ideals can be a good one."

Weiss bit her bottom lip, anger building inside her. "What do you possibly know of my ideals, my ambitions?"

"I know that you've got the wrong ones." Qrow said, voice without any malice. It was calm and almost sad, and made Weiss bite her tongue. Her anger burned, and she had to exercise her will power to keep any smart remarks in check. After all, it wouldn't do to start making enemies already.

A silence fell over them, and all that could be heard was the rhythmic sound of hooves on the rocks below and the roll of the wagon wheels. Weiss sat with Qrow for a little while longer, absorbed in the words of their brief but seemingly important conversation. Eventually the effects of the alcohol wore off, and the chill seeped deeper into her bones. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter and tried to fight off the shivers.

"Go on back and get close with Ruby. She could probably use your body heat and you could use hers. And some sleep." Qrow said. Weiss didn't even protest, surprised by her body's eagerness as it mechanically climbed up over the bench and pushed past the canvas flap into the stocked back.

Ruby was pilled beneath multiple blankets and her cloak, cushioned between propped up leather bags of traveling clothes, provisions and water skins. Weiss crawled over to her and set to shaking her awake.

"Bleh, Yang, go away!" Ruby complained, slurring. Weiss' brow furrowed, having never heard of this Yang up until now.

Weiss shook Ruby even harder this time, and the younger girl's eyes popped open. Her hair was an absolute rat's nest and her face was pushed up against the side of a bag in such a way that her bottom lip was pushed open and to the side. "Weish?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, and began to shift things so that she'd be able to fit in with Ruby. "I'm coming in for some sleep. I'm tired."

Ruby propped herself up on her elbows and shrugged. "Okay, cool. It's kind of warm under here, but I don't mind being warmer." She said with a yawn.

Weiss pushed the improvised siding out of the way and fell into the small space, immediately shedding a layer of her clothing. The cold nipped at her even more exposed body, and she began to shiver violently. "Here." Ruby said, and Weiss felt the familiar weight of Ruby's cloak settle across her shoulders. "I've been all wrapped up in it, so it's nice and cozy."

Weiss smiled her thanks, drawing it close around her as she lay down and faced away from Ruby, pulling the blankets up over them both. The heat of the cloak immediately went to work, thawing her from the outside and working hard at her inner flesh. Still she shivered, the cold in her marrow. Her teeth chattered in rhythm with the steady bump of the wagon, and particularly violent shivers racked her body from time to time.

"Yeesh..." Ruby said quietly, and Weiss felt the younger girl pull at the cloak.

"W-wha-at is is?" Weiss tried to sound annoyed, but it was somewhat nullified by the comical shivers.

"Just... Gah, stop fighting me! Here, gimme." Ruby wrestled the cloak away, and before Weiss could react, Ruby had already wrapped her limbs around Weiss and was hugging her like a sloth on a branch. At first, Weiss was uncomfortable with the situation, stiff as a board and on the verge of telling Ruby to untangle herself. However, once the cloak was re-added and Ruby's own personal body heat warmth had started to set in, Weiss sighed and let it go, deciding she really didn't mind. Ruby's breath was hot on her cheek, and helped warm at least one side of her face. "There."

Weiss, sleep having already begun to creep up on her, did not reply. Instead, she loosened herself up and clung to one of Ruby's hands, as a show of appreciation. She hoped that would do, because almost immediately after sleep took her.

* * *

Weiss stretched as best she could in the confined space, immediately taking note of all the stiffness in her muscles. A groan of discomfort escaped her. "Ruby."

No answer.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked again, looking over her shoulder. In Ruby's place was empty air, and for the first time Weiss noticed the rays of sunlight that sneaked in through the gaps in the canvas fabric, casting patchy shapes on the contents inside.

The wagon had also stopped, she realized. The air was no warmer, and Weiss felt regret when she threw the blankets off. She was quick in wrapping herself back up in all her leather, which had grown chilly and stiff itself. Outside she could hear the muffled voices of Ruby and Qrow, joined by the crackles of an open flame.

She squinted her eyes at the blinding sun when she stepped out, finding herself in the middle of a clearing. The ground here was grassless, and rocks seemed to jut out from everywhere. Around them was the forest they'd seen alongside the path, plus a trail that Qrow no doubt took to get down here.

Ruby and Qrow were sitting around a small campfire, cooking something in a pot. "It was pretty cool, Unlce Qrow! Running around in castles at midnight is probably my new favourite thing."

Qrow laughed. "Well, at least your friend isn't too stuck up for your antics."

Ruby laughed with him, reaching over the pot and gingerly dipping a finger in, immediately yanking it back out with a hiss and sticking it into her mouth. She sucked on it for a moment before humming her approval. "Stew tastes, uh... Exquisite!" Ruby praised it, and Qrow shook his head as he chuckled.

"Hey there, Weiss. How's your back?" He said, looking up at her. Weiss jumped, not aware that Qrow had seen her.

"Sore, I suppose." She admitted, moving over to sit on a cushioned crate next to Ruby. The younger girl beamed at her, like a rainbow. A really bright and happy rainbow. Weiss had to make an effort to keep the grimace off her face; _she_ certainly didn't feel happy.

She was eager, though, and hungry. "So, is the food ready?"

Qrow snickered. "Almost four days out and you're already talking less like a pampered brat."

Weiss soured, and rolled her shoulders. They both popped. "You'd do well to mind your tongue. Regardless of where I am, I'm still the rightful heiress to Atlas. If it was my wish, I'd have you turned into a wanted man."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "She always like that?" He asked to Ruby, who clammed up and remained impassive. Qrow rolled his eyes, though he did grin. Obviously Ruby's silence stood for a yes.

Weiss huffed and reached into her coat, singlehandedly unclipping her royal brooch and bringing it out in her hand. It was opal, shined and buffed and immaculately unscathed, hugged snugly by an intricate silver metal designed to look like a chain of sleek serpent dragons, writhing and wriggling around each other. It was so detailed that each scale was both noticeable and to scale with the miniature bodies. She traced a cold thumb along its smooth surface, frowning. It was a gift from Winter, her sister. They hadn't seen one another in years.

"That's pretty." Qrow commented, staring at it with interest. Weiss snapped her hand to her chest, training her eyes on him wearily. "Whoa, whoa. I'm not a thief; I'm a hunter. I don't _steal_ from my charges." He said, indignantly. Weiss felt a little shameful, but she stood by her reaction. It was a precious loom, and she would protect it with her life.

She brought it back out into plain view, showcasing it to both Qrow and Ruby, who had admittedly seen it before but seemed to never tire of it. Indeed, the younger girl stared wide eyed at it still, entranced at the way the sunlight sparkled off the metal. Qrow observed it from a distance, nodding to himself.

"You know, something like that could get lost or damaged pinned to your tunic." He said, and Weiss realized he was right. It would only take one rough jostle to lose the item, and she may not even notice. The thought of damaging it was equally worse.

"Well, what should I do with it?" Weiss asked, concerned. She didn't like the thought of leaving it in a travel bag, but she didn't want to put it in a pocket, either. She liked wearing it.

Qrow rubbed his chin for a moment, then seemed to brighten with an idea. He got up wordless, heading for the wagon and leaving the two girl's behind.

"He's a little... Odd." Ruby said quietly when he was out of earshot. Weiss nodded in agreement.

"You both are, but I think I like you more."

Ruby giggled, and Weiss smiled. Ruby giggles were fun to hear, so light and airy and bubbly. Weiss thought there was a lot of words that could describe it, and she couldn't remember ever hearing one quite so jovial. At first she'd thought she was annoyed by it, but it didn't take her long to realize it was envy. She'd never been able to laugh quite like that.

Qrow returned from their carriage with something in his hands. He sat back down on his rock, and hung a black chain out for them to see from his index finger.

"Ooooh." Ruby breathed, and Weiss too was impressed. It was shiny ebony, and glinted where the sunrays touched it. She thought there were little protrusions in the links, almost like thorns.

"It's made of Obsidian. Rare material, very durable. Not likely to break. If you want, I can fasten it to your jewellery and you can wear it like a necklace." He said, and Weiss felt a sudden appreciation for the hunter. She knew Obsidian wasn't cheap, and it also wasn't the kind of thing you just pick up.

"I'd be ashamed to ask it of you, such a fine chain as it is." Weiss said, but Qrow snorted.

"I don't really care for it. I was gifted it by a wealthy woman who warmed my... Anyways, it was payment for a job. You want it or not?"

Weiss bit her inner cheek. This man was so crude. "Well... If you insist, Qrow." She said, holding the brooch out to him with more than a little apprehension. He took it and pocketed it without a word, with the chain.

"Alright. I'll have it for you as soon as I get time." Qrow told her, and Weiss nodded. Her hand closed into a fist, a feeling of loss overcoming her. It wasn't that she felt like she'd lost something; it was more like she felt as if Atlas had lost her.

"Alright, then! Stew time!" Ruby suddenly exclaimed, drawing Weiss out of her dark reverie. Qrow rubbed his hands together in anticipation and for the first time since waking up Weiss appreciated the full smells wafting from the pot. Ruby reached for a stack of three wooden bowls and set them on her lap. She then began to drop ladlefuls of steaming stew into the top one, brown and thick, generously filled with carrots, potatoes, turnips, and beef strips. An entire cloud of fog seemed to surround Ruby. "First off; Weiss!"

Weiss eagerly accepted the wooden dish, paired with an equally wooden spoon. It was alien for her, but she was a little excited by the idea of eating from such a thing. It made her feel like she truly was on a journey. She was a little weary of the food, used to fine cuisines as a daily thing, but it smelled good. "Blow on it or it'll burn your tongue." Ruby advised her, and Weiss' eyebrow twitched.

"Ruby, I know this."

Ruby was silent for a few bashful seconds. "Right." She finally said, and Qrow coughed. The brunette filled up Qrow's bowl then and passed it to him, the brown liquid sloshing dangerously close to the brim. Qrow took it without hesitation and immediately began to attack it with vigour.

Weiss inched away out of instinct, disturbed by Qrow's display of voracity. Ruby even seemed embarrassed by him, a nervous giggle escaping from her lips. As she began to fill the last bowl, presumably for herself, Weiss turned to hers, gingerly testing the consistency with her spoon. It was indeed thick, but not in a gelatine way. It was more like thick cream.

"Go on, it's good." Qrow assured her, and Weiss fought to keep her expression polite. She was almost certain he'd find anything appealing after that display.

Forcing some courage, Weiss filled her spoon with some broth and a chunk of carrot, bringing it to her lips and blowing on it. The heat it gave off warmed her face, and it smelt even better. Flavour imploded within her mouth when she stuck the spoon in, and she realized that her stomach was indeed craving for food.

Soon enough, the three of them were eating the stew with almost equal fervency. Of course, Qrow had slowed it down a lot.

At the end of their fasting, Weiss set the bowl down with a content sigh, having scraped the bowl clean. Ruby and Qrow both chuckled, and offered her more. "No, thanks. That's enough for me."

"Suit yourself." Ruby said, shrugging and feeding them both some more. Weiss watched the icy blue sky, clear and pristine out here in the wild without coal smoke to smog it up. A black bird flew overhead, circling them, and Weiss smiled softly. She liked it out here, even if it was colder than she would have preferred it.

After Ruby and Qrow had finished they stacked their bowls with the pot, filling them with snow. He had them stay sat around the fire, which he fed another log. Weiss was growing restless herself, eager to be off.

"Should we not be leaving now?"

Qrow's expression grew solemn, and he shook his head. "On the way here we saw something."

At this Ruby seemed to shrink into her cloak, a look of anger on her usually delicately happy face. It was such an immediate change, and Weiss felt the hairs on her neck stand up.

"A wagon was waylaid on the road," Qrow continued, "all destroyed and bloodied. It looked like nothing more than a farmer's load, and there were two horses, torn up and gored." Weiss listened intently, wondering if it was Grimm, Orcs, White Fang or all three.

"My guess is wolves. There were canine prints with claw marks to boot, but nothing big enough to signal Grimm. However," He said, and looked directly at Ruby as he did, "that doesn't make it any less of a threat. It's a pack, and a large one. We don't want anything to do with it."

Ruby looked at him defiantly, her silver eyes glaring. "We have a duty to try and help the missing persons!"

Qrow sighed. "They're dead, Ruby. No doubt about it. They couldn't take the horses because they were still harnessed to the wagon. They dragged the people or person back with them to their den and had their way with them. We don't fight wildlife, we fight monsters."

Ruby scowled, and threw her hood up over her face. Weiss was shocked; she'd never seen Ruby be anything but happy or mildly snarky. She caught Qrow looking at his niece sadly, before his expression turned stern. "Your duty is to kill monsters, not get torn apart on a foolish and righteous driven mission to get vengeance on some wolves. You'll have plenty of chances to do such, if you live long enough. So get over it and move on, kiddo." Despite the harshness of his words there was an undertone of sympathy and understanding.

"I concur. It's a tragedy, but it's also unavoidable. I say we keep a close eye out for the pack, however, while we travel. If we get a good excuse to take care of them, it would do any other travelers of this pass some good." Weiss suggested, and Qrow nodded.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Ruby sighed, obviously still not happy. Qrow clasped his hands before his knees and gave Weiss a look she didn't understand, but it felt as if he was comparing them.

"Very well. Pack up, put out the fire. Weiss, get your weapon. I want to see you two spar." Qrow ordered, and Ruby almost immediately perked up.

"You mean we finally get to show you just how good we are?" She asked, excitement oozing out of her pores.

"I get to see just how sloppy your swordsmanship is." Qrow corrected, and Ruby harrumphed at him. All the same, she began to rinse out the dishware with the snow. Weiss left her to it and went to the wagon to retrieve their weapons; Myrtenaster, her rapier, and Thorn, Ruby's aptly named short sword. In truth, she was simply eager to fight Ruby again.

She came back with them both in one arm, and Qrow immediately told Weiss to draw her weapon, which she did after setting Thorn against a stone. The thin blade came swishing out of the white leather scabbard fastened with silver. Qrow nodded thoughtfully at it, putting a thumb to his lips.

"Pass it here, let me see it."

Weiss did as she was asked, and Qrow immediately did a basic form with it. He did a bit more of it, and mixed in some fancier movements and footwork. Weiss was humbled; she hadn't expected him to know any fencing, nor did she expect him to appreciate such a classy weapon form.

"It feels nice. Grip is a bit small for me. Let me guess, custom made?"

"Yes. My father gifted it to me a few years ago, when my aura and therefore semblance became apparent."

Qrow nodded, handing it back to her. Weiss found that it fit perfectly into her smaller hands. "Good. Ruby says you're good. I hope so, because she is. It would be a pretty sore spectacle if she wiped the floor with you from the start."

Weiss bristled, gritting her teeth. "I'll have you know that I received proper training from professional duellists from all over Remnant! If anything, you should be more worried for her; I've beaten her more than she has me."

Qrow raised an eyebrow, and Ruby seemed to stiffen. "Right. Proper training, no doubt. How many of them were hunters?"

Weiss grimaced. "At least half."

Qrow smiled angelically at her. "I'm her Uncle."

Weiss sighed, an understanding coming over her. Qrow was far too good at setting her back on her heels without any effort, and that was likely because of her own ineptitude to hold her tongue. "Fair point. But I've still got a higher win rate, so my point still stands."

Ruby got up then, retrieving her sword and swishing it in the air before letting it rest at her side. She gave Weiss a flat expression, and Weiss couldn't help a twinge of guilt. She gave Ruby an apologetic half smile, and Ruby responded with a shrug and a quirky grin.

Of course, everything was fine.

"Alright, then. Get to it over by the tree line, I'll finish with the fire and come over to observe after."

"Alrighty." Ruby agreed, and took the lead. Weiss followed after, wishing she could shed a layer of leather. It was weighty stuff.

They both took their stance in front of one another, weapons held out at arm's length and faces set. "It's been a little bit, hasn't it?" Ruby commented, and Weiss realized with a start that it had. In fact, it had been almost two weeks.

"Yeah. I remember our bouts fondly, though. I'm eager to test you again."

Ruby nodded, and they both took breaths. Their muscles tensed under the clothing, their warrior spirit emerging. With it came a grim expression on both their faces, a steely glint in their eyes.

Their swords touched tips.

Before Weiss could react, Ruby was spinning off to the side and striking for Weiss' right leg. With a sharp breath she stepped behind her left leg and Ruby's strike went wide, but the brunette was already going for her second attack. She stepped in close and pulled her arm back for what looked like a jab. Weiss leapt back and immediately re-situated herself in the span of a split second, nimbly leaning to the side to avoid the coming stab and strike at Ruby's exposed stomach.

Thorn flashed to Ruby's side instead, deflecting Myrtenaster and also presenting Ruby with Weiss' open body.

Ruby's sword was mere inches from Weiss' collarbone when Weiss leaned back and ducked low, rolling out of the way and standing back up into a stance. Ruby turned to face her, still calm. Weiss was shocked; she hadn't seen Ruby so fast or so ferocious during their sparing before. That footwork was new, even.

The crisp clean air was hot on Weiss' throat, and she forced herself to breathe lighter. Such fast reactions were taxing.

"Pretty decent." Qrow admitted, appearing behind them. Weiss looked back to see the fire put out and immediately was thrown from her feet, breath knocked out of her lungs. She landed roughly on the ground, wheezing. Qrow began to laugh, and even as she began to realize what had happened Ruby was by her side, apologizing profusely and ashamedly.

"I am so, so, so sorry, Weissy! Please don't hold it against me or nothing!" She begged, grasping for Weiss' hand. She looked a lot like the warrior Weiss had thought she was when she'd first laid eyes upon her from her father's throne room, face flushed, lips sucking in the cold air, her eyes wide and alert and her hair windblown across her face.

"That was incredibly poor spirited, Ruby." Weiss said flatly, and Ruby bowed her head.

"Yeah."

"I thought it was pretty smart; Weiss' own fault for turning her attention from the battle. It wasn't quite over, was it?" Qrow said, still chuckling.

Weiss glared at him, even if he was right. She already knew this, but she still hadn't expected it from Ruby. There was something off about her, a farmer's daughter, being able to get the upper hand on Weiss like that so fast.

In fact, she'd never seen Ruby move so fast. Ever.

"Qrow is right." Weiss admitted begrudgingly, and Ruby smiled hopefully at her. "Defeat accepted."

Ruby laughed then, and Weiss felt herself begin to giggle along with her. It was infectious laughter.

"Alright, get back up and start at it again. This time try to keep your eyes on the Rose, Schnee." Qrow ordered, and the two obediently got into positions again after Ruby helped Weiss up.

At the end of their sparring, Ruby was five to one, and Weiss was flabbergasted. She'd always thought they were on equal levels of skill, but Ruby proved to be a master of reflexes and footwork that Weiss had never seen in her before.

"You did... Impressively well." Weiss admitted to Ruby as they loaded back up into the wagon.

"Eh heh, thanks." Ruby accepted the compliment, seemingly embarrassed. Weiss guessed it was from the sudden display of hidden skills, and tried not to sulk too much. She was annoyed, but she kept it to herself.

As soon as they both found seat up front, Qrow turned to Ruby.

"Right, Pipsqueak. Bow and arrow, all yours. Keep your eyes trained, try not to shoot anything prematurely." Qrow ordered her, handing her a yew bow and a quiver of arrows. Ruby accepted the task with gusto, even going as far to snap a salute in Qrow's direction. He chuckled at her, and Ruby took up position back of the wagon.

Weiss sat down next to him, feeling cool. The sweat from working herself so hard to try and keep up with Ruby was cooling down. "She's pretty good." Qrow said, and Weiss' face darkened.

"Better than I was previously aware of. For three months."

Qrow laughed, low and amused. "She's been learning to fight since she was twelve, Weiss."

Weiss wasn't surprised to hear this. Ruby would have had to be learning for quite some time in order to be that well developed. "If she'd deemed it intelligent to fight me with her entire skill set, perhaps our sparring would have actually helped me progress further than I have."

Qrow spat. "Probably. But she's got something to prove, just like all of us."

Weiss looked at him, curious. "What's that?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, and he looked at her with sad eyes. "To be the best huntress and warrior Remnant has ever seen."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Of course I know that. She's told me, and we share very similar dreams. I feel betrayed, even."

Qrow nodded, turning his attention back to his team of horses. They were back on the road by this point, and immediately the trees were surrounding them. The path was curvy, and disappeared around a bend just a little way from where they currently were. "Yeah, similar dreams, different reasons. Ruby has something to prove to a person, rather than an entire world."

Weiss mulled the words over in her head, an interest in knowing more about Ruby's past suddenly sparking in her brain. "Ruby didn't talk much about her past at all. Would you mind?"

Qrow shook his head. "Her past is pretty much my own past, Weiss, and I sure as hell don't plan to discuss it with you."

Weiss scowled. "You hunters are very unlikable."

Qrow chuckled, a sarcastic sound. "Yeah well, unlike princesses in fancy castles, most of us have had a bad time with life. We don't make it a point to be overly charming."

Weiss fell silent, and turned her attention to the horse team. The sun was halfway across the sky, and midday was fast departing.

* * *

A long, piercing howl split the nightly silence, and Weiss woke up with a jolt. Her breathing was heavy, and she felt adrenaline running in her veins. _A nightmare._ She thought, sitting up and looking to her side. Ruby wasn't there.

The lack of bumpiness and sound signalled that the wagon had stopped moving. Qrow was probably catching some sleep, which would likely mean watches. With a sigh, Weiss wrapped herself back up in the blankets and fell back down into the makeshift bed, trying to hold onto the last tendrils of sleep.

Another howl rent her ears and made her blood curdle. "Curses." Weiss hissed, flicking the covers away and fishing for Myrtenaster. With rapier in hand, she slipped out of the wagon onto stony ground. A campfire off to the side lit what appeared to be a plateau in an orange red glow, illuminating one large pine tree taller than any Weiss had ever seen.

Ruby sat next to the fire, hood drawn and shadowed, bow resting on her knees. Another howl erupted from somewhere in the wilderness, and Weiss bee-lined for the fire. Ruby looked up with a start at her approach, fully drawing an arrow. Weiss froze, almost tripping over her feet.

"Oh my gosh, Weiss!" Ruby breathed in relief, releasing the tension on the string and settling back down. Weiss let go of her breath and sat down next to Ruby on a conveniently small boulder. It was lumpy and uncomfortable, but at least she wasn't on the ground.

"How long have we been stopped?" Weiss asked. She'd left for bed before they'd picked a place to stop, growing weary of traveling the road beside Qrow.

Ruby shrugged. "Few hours, I s'pose. I took first watch."

"Ah."

Silence fell between them, and Weiss felt the air was heavy with a subtle tension. Whether it was from Ruby or herself, she couldn't be sure. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked, out of real concern. Ruby cast a grave appearance in her scarlet cloak and heavy shadows.

"Just a little cold!" Ruby assured her happily, and Weiss smiled. The tension seemed to ease, and she wondered if she had just been imagining it.

A long, mournful cry no doubt belonging to another wolf echoed through the mountainous region. Weiss shifted in response, but Ruby didn't even raise her head.

"Did they just start doing this?"

"Yehp. They're loud and annoying, and I wish one would just show up so I can shut them up." Ruby huffed, and Weiss silently agreed with her.

Weiss rubbed her bare hands together, holding them close to the flame. The light danced and flickered on her digits, and she made amusing shapes by bending her fingers this way and that. "You think we should have gone after the pack." Weiss suddenly said, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

Ruby raised her head to Weiss. "Yeah, no doubt we should have. People are just going to get attacked and die if we don't take care of them first."

Weiss bit her bottom lip in thought. These creatures troubled Ruby, and while their thoughts on the matter were a little different, she wanted to try to put the other girl's mind to rest. "Ruby, there'll always be another pack, or even just another predator. If it isn't the wolves, it's a bear, or a Grimm, or bandits, or worse. Sometimes it's best to just... Leave it be."

Ruby scoffed angrily, "It's not right to just sit here and do nothing,!"

"Qrow is the only one capable enough to take on such an enemy, and neither of us have our semblances. It would be a foolish risk."

"That's our job as hunters."

"Our job is fighting the evil in the world. Wolves that kill to survive aren't evil, Ruby. They're just like us, really. We take lives every day, we consume animals, tear down their homes. If we have a right do such things, don't they?"

Ruby seemed to grow silent for a moment, and Weiss imagined she'd hit the right notes. "Yeah. Maybe, I guess, that makes sense."

Weiss sighed. "If the chance presents itself, we should definitely take on the pack. But we shouldn't go looking for the contest."

Ruby nodded, and Weiss sighed. Another wolf cried, but this time Weiss let it go without a reaction. "You wanna stay out here with me?" Ruby asked innocently. Weiss, who had already made plans to do just that seeing as how sleep had left her and the wolves weren't going to allow her to find it again, agreed.

They spent the night watching the flame, the stars and moon having hid behind heavy darkness.

The wolves never stopped howling, and never stopped growing closer.

* * *

The next few following days on the road were spent moving faster than before, and Ruby never stopped looking out for the wolves. Once she'd even seen one from far away, watching from a quickly receding mountain line.

As the horse team worked harder and breathed more labouredly, the air grew milder and the snow receded dramatically. The ground levelled out and they eventually found themselves running a straight road that was smooth, the forest dispersing around them. A few layers of leather were shed, and the sun breathed new warm life into them. Despite the tension of being chased, their spirits were all raised.

"It's going to be a pretty day." Qrow commented, the sleeves of a grey wool tunic rolled up and leaving his muscled forearms bare.

Weiss herself was wearing her coat, made of the richest and most oiled white leather, material brought all the way from Vale itself. She wore her hair loose, Myrtenaster belted to her side by more white leather and gold. "Yes, I'd say so."

The sky was a brilliant blue, accented by fluffy clouds. There was no sign of rain, and Weiss felt that this was what she'd been waiting for on the journey.

"Hey, guys! Guys! I can see the river from up ahead!" Ruby shouted, racing back towards them over a small rise on a chestnut mare apparently named Summer. She'd been acting as a forward scout ever since they'd gotten to the level grounds, Qrow having slowed the pace again. The pack had likely stopped chasing them.

Qrow sighed. "Shame it's not whisky."

Weiss scoffed, but couldn't help but grin. Even Qrow's personality was appealing to her today. "I for one will be glad to wash up."

"Too true." Qrow admitted, and then shouted, "Alright, kiddo! Go further ahead, find the nearest village! We'll stay at the riverside!"

"Understood, captain!" Ruby yelled back, turning her horse around and bolting off at speeds that made Weiss nervous. A cloud of dust erupted around the spot Ruby had just been.

"I really hope she doesn't break a leg." Weiss said, and Qrow chuckled.

"You need to stop giving her so little credit, princess. She's been horse riding since she was seven. Farms and all."

Weiss huffed, once again being reminded that the farmer's daughter was apparently more fit than she was for this hunter job. "I find it ludicrous that Ruby is this much more skilled than I am. Is she really so young?"

"No doubt about it!" Qrow said with amusement, and Weiss scowled.

"Then, how?"

"It's simple." Qrow said, looking Weiss in the eye. "She was trained by hunters, and she's dedicated to it. A level of dedicated that I haven't ever seen in a hunter before." He chuckled. "In fact, it's downright scary sometimes."

As they breached the rise, Weiss could see Ruby and Summer's departing forms, red and brown blotches on fields of gold. She watched them the entire time until the pair had slipped out of view over another hill.

The day was middle aged by the time Weiss spotted Ruby again, coming over the horizon. "She's on her way back!" Weiss called to Qrow, who immediately began to saddle up the horses again, who had been grazing on the dying grass.

As she watched Ruby approach closer and closer, she realized Ruby was having her arm frantically, Thorn drawn. "Qrow, I think something's wrong."

"What?" He snapped, crawling up onto Weiss' small hill to see. They sat up there waiting for her until she got back.

"Attack!" She yelled frantically, and both Weiss and Qrow tensed. "There's a village and it's being attacked!"

Qrow was a bolt of action. He leapt down the hill and grabbed Summer's reigns, leading her and Ruby to the other horses. "Where and by who?"

"Just up that way a little," Ruby said, pointing in the direction she'd come, "and Grimm." She climbed down off of Summer, sheathing Thorn.

Qrow cursed, tying Summer to the wagon. He then started to untie each of the harnessed equines. "We're going fast. Leave the wagon behind, we'll come back for it later. Right now we have bigger issues."

"Right." They both said in unison, leaping up onto the bare backs of each horse. Weiss sat upon the grey one, a stallion unnamed.

"I really hope we're not too late."

* * *

 ** _Wow. 75 followers. I'm... Wow. I don't know what to say, other than thank you for all the support! I'm going to stop calling it out, but I just wanted to thank you guys all for such an incredible following already. I'm stunned._**

 ** _If you have questions, criticism, anything, don't be afraid to leave it in the reviews or pm me. I appreciate constructive criticism the most, not going to lie._**

 ** _Chapter's will probably average around the lengths of this one (7000 words) and 3000._**

 ** _Please, enjoy!_**


	4. A Quick Author's Note: Please Read

_**Dear readers.**_

I'd like to take a moment to talk. I have two projects currently in my fanfiction writing project; Inheritance and another White Rose fiction slow burn, set in a modern world. I mentioned it in the epilogue, but plot/setting have changed a bit so that chapter is no longer legitimate.

So, I'd just like to inform everyone that my update scheduling will now be split between Inheritance and this so far unnamed other fic. I'll keep it at one week you'll all get a new Inheritance chapter and another week you'll get other fic chapter.

This week is still Inheritance. I'm going to be getting to work on that fic now, actually. I just wanted to inform everyone.

Sorry this isn't a super fast chapter update. I just felt like I need to get this news out to everyone and, lets be honest, straight up authors notes aren't always the best way to do it because not everyone reads those.

Love you all, lots of fluffy kisses and hugs. Thanks for supporting the story.

Yours truly, Aegis. –insert heart-


	5. Arc I: Building Up

The wind whipped her hair around and stung her cheeks. The hooves of her horse pounded on the soft dirt beneath her, gouging it with abandon in the same manner she road.

Ruby clutched tightly to the reigns, adrenaline, fear, anticipation and a sense of something indescribable burning within her. It made her clench up and grit her teeth.

"The two of you have nothing to do with this fight," Qrow shouted, "So do us all a favour and stay out of it!"

"Stay out of it?" Ruby shouted back, the suggestion setting off alarms in her head. Not a chance.

"If you get killed on my watch, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble! And guess what; I don't like trouble!" Qrow snapped back, and Ruby turned her head away from him. She didn't agree, not in the least, but she didn't need to tell Qrow that. She was skilled enough to take on some Grimm. After all, she'd beaten Weiss in sparring almost five consecutive times.

When the village finally came into view again, Ruby's pot of emotions boiled some more. It wasn't a large settlement by any means, but it was sizeable, with an outer wall of wood and steel fastenings. The most noticeable thing at first was the double gates that hung shattered on their bent hinges, black creatures of Grimm milling about them. The sounds of battle and terror carried up to them on their rise, which the three of them quickly left behind.

"Draw back- back into the buildings! Go, go!" A man shouted, voice hardly discernable over all the excess noise, but Ruby heard it.

"Damnit." Qrow spat, and Ruby guessed he heard it to. Weiss looked at them both in concern. "Alright. I'm going to cut our way through there! You two stay on my _ass_ like fleas!"

Ruby and Weiss both nodded.

One large beowulf seemed to notice them coming when they were only a dozen yards away. It stood up on its hind legs and turned to them, issuing a roar that made Ruby's blood boil and gave her skin goose bumps all at the same time.

"My horse, watch it!" Qrow shouted, and then he was gone from the back of the beast, leaving no trace of himself behind. Ruby quickly moved her horse over and snagged up the reigns of Qrow's. It seemed discontented and snorted, but otherwise fell into line with no issues.

"Where did he go?" Weiss asked.

"He flew!" Ruby shouted back, and Weiss didn't answer. They both watched as a black bird shape flew towards the Grimm creature, turned into Qrow in the span of a second, who immediately cut the thing down with one great cleave of his massive great-sword.

"Oh." Ruby heard Weiss gasp.

The Grimm that were pressing into the village slowed, some of them apparently taking note of the new arrival. They both watched as Qrow relieved some more beowulves in close perimeter of their heads, their bodies dissolving into grey mist. The dark creatures all collectively roared at him, turning on him at once.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby called out in alarm, concern gripping her. They were only a few yards away, and they both halted their horses.

"What do we do?" Weiss asked, her voice high pitched and frantic.

"Uhm." Ruby answered, not at all sure. Her earlier gusto had seemed to die down.

Qrow nimbly dodged the lunge of a large ursa, a great bear-like Grimm. His sword came around from the left in a wide arc and dug deep into its back, likely severing the beast's spinal cord. It dissipated almost right after the strike had landed.

Ruby leapt off her horse and drew Thorn. "We help!" She shouted, running after her uncle. She didn't check to see if Weiss was with her. Fear coursed through her veins, but so did worry for her uncle, and her anger helped steel her nerves.

"Wait, it's still saveable! Reinforcements have come! Charge, attack!" Came a shouted yell, and a chorus of battle cries rung out from behind the small army of Grimm. Ruby joined her uncle's side, who was busy fending off two beowulves from both the right and left.

Ruby dashed in with a primal growl, sticking the beowulf on the right in the gut with her sword, which dug deep down to the hilt. The creature shrieked, and then began to turn corporeal. It exploded into black dust at the same time Qrow dispatched the creature on his left.

"Ruby, be careful!" Qrow growled, and Ruby immediately jumped back, only to barely dodge the reaching paw of a furred arm, which Qrow promptly cut off at the elbow.

"I'm trying!" Ruby answered back, dodging a snapping mouth and whacking down hard on the creature's snout. She struck right through the bone and into the lower jaw. She yanked Thorn out and before the Grimm could react and stabbed it in the throat. It gurgled and growled before dying and dissipating.

Arrows suddenly rained from the sky, sticking multiple Grimm and causing them either to die on the spot or to lurch awkwardly in pain. Roars and howls erupted in a violent choir even as more arrows came to silence them.

Weiss suddenly appeared, reaching for the Grimm that had circled around Ruby and Qrow. Ruby heard the sizzling sounds of their degrading behind her, and a wicked grin formed on her face.

A shout suddenly sounded above all others, and sent a chill down Ruby's spine.

"They're coming in from the back! Help!"

Cries of blood curdling fear assaulted the already shout ridden battle field, and the three of them hastened their efforts. All around them Grimm fell, either by their blades are by the arrows of the bowman from inside the village.

Ruby ground her teeth and prayed they weren't late.

* * *

Eric had been having a splendid day. He was new to the militiaman job, but it was pretty easy. Just sit around and watch some pretty scenery all day, even if it did get kind of bland and uninteresting fast. Still, it was easy money and easy work.

At least, that was the plan.

Now he stood backed up against the inn, short sword and shield in shaking hands. A beowulf loomed above him, its horrific maw grimacing and frothing. Crimson eyes stared down at him, hungry and insane.

"Please... Not like this, not like this!" He cried and soiled himself at the same time.

A solid shaft of wood came swooping in at the thing's neck, and the crack of bone signalled the snapping of necks. Relief spread through Eric, and he looked at his savoir; a middle aged woman with a broom. He was about to express his ashamed thanks when another Grimm suddenly stood up behind her, growling and snapping its jaws.

"Oh... No!" Eric shouted, a primal roar of rage and denial ripping from his usually quite enough throat. He lunged for the creature, shield raised; it raised its clawed hand to strike the broom woman down... And fell in two before completely vanishing in a cloud of inky black.

"Wha... Who?" Eric managed, and saw a man with a great, silver blade standing where the horrific monster used to be, wearing unusually formal attire for the occasion. "W-who..."

"Don't worry about it, kid. Ruby, Weiss! Go with these two into the inn, stay there! I and the rest of this sad militia will take care of it from here!"

Two girls rushed past him, into the inn behind. Eric was frozen still, confused, elated, and terrified.

"Go." The strange man reiterated, and Eric felt like he didn't want to face another Grimm. With a salute, he grabbed the wrist of broom woman and pulled her into the inn with him, following the two girls.

He _had_ been having a splendid day. Not so much anymore.

* * *

The inside of the inn was quite a gruesome sight. Men with bandages wrapped around their various limbs sat in wooden chairs, groaning and sniffing. There was a constant buzz of small chatter and quiet crying that filled the central room. The atmosphere seemed to clash between relief and suffering.

Weiss shuddered. She'd gone down below, to where the woman, children and old folks had hidden. The cellar seemed like it would be gloomy on any given day. What she'd seen had left a horrific imprint in her mind. Mothers holding babes in swathing cloths had stared at her with either fear or vacancy. Children cried for their fathers, or clung to the skirts of their mum's with violent urgency.

What remained the same was the fear and suffering throughout. It sent chills down her spine.

Before her now, however, Ruby paced the wooden floor, rubbing her knuckles. The tables in the inn were all pushed to the windows, creating a large space for walking.

Weiss took stationary place on the serving counter, watching Ruby. The brunette looked shaken, and Weiss could understand why. Oddly enough, after the killing of a few Grimm, Weiss had lost her reluctance for battle. Now she was calm and collected, if not harrowed by the sights around her.

Weiss huffed, growing tired of seeing Ruby wear tracks in the floor. "Ruby, could you please just sit down?"

"I want to be out there too!" She exclaimed, turning on her heel to fix Weiss with a stare.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "It's a Grimm attack, Ruby. Qrow is a trained huntsman. He could likely handle this on his own."

Ruby glared, opened her mouth and snapped it shut, and sat down hard in the middle of the floor all at the same time. "I still want to be there." She grumbled, and Weiss sighed.

"I know. I do, too. But it's better that we be here."

Ruby nodded, looking around the room. Men with chest-plates and long bows lined up like dominos behind all the tables, arrows trained on the windows. Aside from Eric and the broom woman, Weiss and Ruby seemed to be the only ones with major proficiency in melee weapons.

"This could have been really bad." Ruby said, moving up and sitting down beside Weiss. She kept her voice low.

Weiss nodded, the same thought having already occurred to her. "I guess it's lucky that you and Summer were looking when you were. Any later and I fear what the results may have been."

"It's scary." Ruby mumbled, a slight tremble in her voice. Weiss looked at her with concern. "If I'd been any later... They all could have died, Weiss. Just like that."

Weiss felt as if an ominous presence of solemnity had phased into the room. "And now no one is being hurt. Life goes on, we saved the day."

"Yeah." Ruby sighed, and Weiss grabbed one of Ruby's pale hands and squeezed it.

"You did good. We, did good."

Ruby smiled at her, and Weiss smiled back.

Outside the sounds of battle continued, and no matter how hard Weiss tried, she couldn't ignore that she too wanted to be part of the fight. However, Qrow seemed well equipped to handle it himself.

Sure enough, once the sounds quieted an hour later, Qrow came into the inn with hardly a scratch, wearing a cocky smile. "The workout was great. The damage done to the town, not so much. But they'll do fine." He announced, to which Weiss and Ruby both sighed in relief.

Eric, the man who'd been saved by Qrow earlier, rushed up to him. "Sir, please, sir, thank you! I-"

Qrow interrupted him by holding a finger up to his lips. "I was doing my job. There are casualties and I'm sure as hell not doing a head count. Your job."

"Right! Uhm. Right!" With that Eric rushed off, and most of the bowmen followed.

Qrow sat down next to Ruby and Weiss, sighing. "That was rough. The Grimm were everywhere, and if I know anything about Grimm attacks, they usually act more like a siege. They're gonna keep coming for awhile."

Weiss slipped off the counter, Ruby following in her example. "Can they handle the rest?"

Qrow looked at her in silence, obviously thinking. "Maybe. Hopefully. I don't know. It's going to be rough, but..."

"We could stay and protect them for a bit." Ruby suggested enthusiastically.

"We have a schedule to keep up with. It's called Vale." Qrow said, and Ruby scowled.

"But they're- you know... Just look at them!" Ruby protested.

Qrow sighed and knelt down to her height, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, kiddo. I would love to stay behind and help as well, but there are much bigger things at stake here."

"Like what? Why is it so important that we get to Vale super fast?" Ruby asked, and Weiss watched with shock and surprise as tears welled in the corners of her silver eyes.

"Ruby, you have got to let that go. Ozpin, he'll fill you in on the details when you're ready to know."

"That's a really cliché thing to say!"

"Ruby, you tire me out." Qrow grumbled, and Weiss half smiled despite herself. At least she wasn't the only one.

Ruby angrily wiped her tears away and sighed. "Fine, okay. We'll go, then."

"I'm sorry, kiddo." At Ruby's silent nod, the best acknowledgement Weiss expected Ruby would give him right now, Qrow stood up. "Alright, you two go head back to get the wagon. We're- Wait, where are the horses?"

Weiss looked at Ruby, and the word fell out of their mouths in unison.

"Uhm."

* * *

Ruby and Weiss sat side by side on the wagon bench, leading it and the team of four horses to the village. The sun was beginning to set, lighting the sky ablaze in flaming colors.

"You know, I kinda can't wait to get to Vale." Ruby said happily, and Weiss marvelled silently at Ruby's apparent ability to bounce back from a dark spot.

"Neither can I. The chill up here isn't much enjoyable on the open road."

"Yeah, you're telling me. At least you grew up here." Ruby snorted, and Weiss hummed. "You know... You were good out there, Weiss."

Weiss sat straighter. "Of course I was. You're not the only one who was trained to hold a blade."

Ruby laughed, quietly. "Yeah, well, I was just saying. It was cool to see you fight."

Weiss checked for any hidden jokes before softening up, which was basically her sitting lazily once again.

"Thank you, Ruby."

When they made it back to the village, Qrow was waiting outside with a group of militiamen, some bags and a few crates.

"This should get us to Vale, as long as you two don't lose the horse team and force us to carry the damn stuff." Qrow said, and Ruby giggled.

"Thanks again for your help... If you hadn't shown up, I don't know if we would have survived."

"Don't thank me." Qrow said. "Thank her. She's the one who found out you guys were being attacked in the first place." He pointed at Ruby, and the man, Eric, gave her a salute.

"My thanks, fair lady!" He said, with what he thought must have been a winning grin.

Ruby giggled and flushed, shrugging her shoulders. "Aw, well, you know. It was nothing much."

He bowed to her, and they both were now blushing and awkwardly spouting praises and admissions to one another. This continued until both Weiss and Qrow grew tired of the affair.

"Alright, stop gushing over yourself, knight in shining armour."

"Ruby, you're hopeless."

Both Eric and Ruby stood and sat straighter, looking away from Qrow and Weiss. The other two sighed, and Qrow began directing the militia to load the wagon.

Eventually the three of them were on the road again, leaving the town behind. Ruby was in the back of the wagon, waving and shouting to the men, and to Weiss' annoyance, Eric. She thought the man was a buffoon.

"It's absolutely ridiculous. She's blowing this way out of proportions." Weiss grumbled to Qrow, who shook his head.

"Nah, she's got every right to be proud. She probably saved an entire settlement."

"Either of us would have and could have done the same thing. I'm just offended by the fact that neither you nor I got any of the recognition deserved."

Qrow chuckled, "I like you, Weiss, you're not too bad. However, you have a major ego issue."

Weiss scowled darkly, crossing her arms and staring daggers into the ground that rolled beneath her. Secretly, she was embarrassed by his admission. "You and I did just as much work."

"True. But tell me, out of all three of us, which one here really needs to be the hero? I couldn't care less. You're a princess with a semblance that'll change the tides of historical battles to come, and Ruby?"

Weiss thought about it for a moment. "She's just a girl... A normal, seemingly plain girl."

"Of course, we both know she's got something special in her, a spark that no one else has. Sure, we could be wrong. But neither of us needs the character building to achieve the standards she'll have to meet that she does."

Weiss' annoyance simmered down, replaced with a worry for her friend. "What if she's not as important as she seems?"

Qrow shrugged. "Then she'll be a great huntress, regardless. But she may be more than that. You're her partner, Weiss. Ruby has shown that she's something above just special, I'm sure of it."

Weiss was silent, trying to put it all into perspective. "Why was I chosen to be her partner?"

Qrow chuckled again. "Because, Weiss. You're the next thing to her in terms of potential. And you're royalty, if not a pain as well. The point is, Ruby needs you to push her to new levels and keep her going. And you need her to do the same."

Weiss stared at him, considering his words. It made sense. There was definitely a rivalry between them after their bout. One that Weiss wasn't going to forget, regardless of her care for Ruby.

"I shouldn't be telling you any of this, really. Ozpin and Ironwood would rather I tell you that you were paired simply because." Qrow looked Weiss in the eye, "I, however, have an issue with authority and would much rather handle this on my own. After all, I was put in charge of this mission. I'll handle it however I see fit."

"You sound like you're trying to justify it."

Qrow laughed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Maybe I am, princess."

He pulled out his flask and uncorked it, taking a swig. "Want some?"

"I'll pass."

"Suit yourself."

Eventually Ruby came up to sit in the middle of them, looking utterly radiant and happy. Qrow seemed to soften around her, Weiss noticed, and placed an elbow on the top of Ruby's head. She didn't seem to mind, giggling at first and then humming happily.

Weiss felt a strange fondness grow in her heart, then, not only for Ruby, but for Qrow, too.

Her thoughts went back to the ravaged village, and oddly enough, Weiss found that she had enjoyed the events of today, if she was to disregard the travesties.

Perhaps she wouldn't mind traversing the countryside with these two dolts after all.

* * *

 _ **There. New chapter, not an author's note. That thing was hardly intelligible, geez. I wrote it at like, 4am, hyped up on alcohol and emotions. 'Scuse my horrible English.**_

 _ **Anyhow, I was left with a guest review asking about why Ruby was so easily able to defeat Weiss. I've got my reasons for it, no worries. They make sense to me, in a I-know-everything-in-the-story-anyways kind of way.**_

 _ **You'll see.**_

 _ **Anyhow, leave a fololololow, favourite, or a review. I really love constructive criticism, you know? It helps.**_

 _ **Have a good one, guys. Love ya's! Next chapter should be somewhere between now and ten days.**_


	6. Arc I: Mountainous Travesty

_**Hi! Sorry the chapter's late. No excuses, other than hard writer's block and some Skyrim addiction.**_

* * *

The late day sun cast a golden light across the weathered stone. The carved alcoves above were deep set with shadows, moss and vines blanketed the pillars that withstood the weight of a mountaintop. Two large doors of polished wood hung shattered on rusted hinges. A robed statue watched over the terrace from ceiling height, unmoving, unthinking.

Roman eyed it with distaste. Its hands were hidden somewhere beneath the folds of its heavy cloak, and unseen eyes seemed to bore into him and pass silent judgement. _My position is my position._ He thought darkly at it, to counter the imagined accusations.

A man in black leather and white plating that overlapped itself down his arm's approached, face masked by more plating in the shape of a Grimm skull. His studded boots clacked sharply on the cracked, stone floor. He stopped in front of Roman, assuming a lazy pose. Roman kept his expression flat, despite the annoyance that flared within him. If he'd come to expect one thing from the White Fang, it was that disrespect was all he could.

"We found the dust, and there's a lot of it. What's next?" He asked. He had a nasally voice.

Excitement spread like fire through Roman. He disregarded his anger, deciding he could deal with issues such as deserved respect later. His eyes lit up beneath his brimmed hat. "Take me to it. Show me!" He urged, and the subordinate shrugged.

"This way.." He said gruffly, leading past the broken doors. Their shattered remains were lost beneath the vegetation that grew overtop them on the ground. Idly, Roman wondered how long it would take nature to reclaim this lost city.

The hallway was dark and smelled of mould and dirt. Sunlight streamed in through cut out slits in the wall, illuminating the dust motes in the air. Black braziers were cold and empty. Their footsteps echoed throughout the forsaken halls, through dark antechambers with shattered stairways. His gloved hand brushed along wooden rails, long since having turned rough and gravely rather than smooth.

"It's down here." The soldier said brusquely, trecking down a set of stairs. Roman had to work hard not to trip on any of the wide cracks on his way down. The steps seemed to reach down forever, and Roman estimated they were at least a mile within the earth by the time they stopped. Two more White Fang guards awaited, spears in their hands. They made no signs of noticing either of them, other than pushing an iron door open upon their arrival.

They swung inwards, the metal hinges grating on each other as clouds of rust erupted from them. A red glow emanated from the chamber within. Roman couldn't help the maniacal smile that slipped past his calm mask.

They stepped into a chamber that was almost three miles in circumference and the doors swung shut behind them. A loud empty boom echoed and bounced off the domelike ceiling, before ebbing away into silence. The walls were lit in crimson, revealing carved statues of knightly figures. Roman's breath caught in his throat when he laid eyes upon the center of the room.

The floor dropped down into a large depression. He approached it cautiously; weary of the brilliant scarlet that shone from its depths. He began to laugh when he peaked his head over the rim.

Barely visible through the radiant, he could make out the shape of a red dust crystal so large it was likely two-thirds the diameter of the chamber. It glowed so brightly that it almost appeared white. Roman's quite laugh broke out into an uncontained cackle.

The solider stayed away from the edge, watching Roman with obvious disturbance. Roman didn't care; let them think what they would.

It was he who had delivered the means of Vale's destruction into the hands of Cinder.

It was he who would survive in the end.

Roman's triumphant laughter echoed through Mount Glen.

* * *

The horse's hooves beat upon stone tiled ground. Ruby bounced from one end of the bench to the other, leaning over Qrow and Weiss with exclamations of "ooh," and "Aah!". Weiss scowled when Ruby roughly pressed herself against Weiss' shoulder; not only was it uncomfortable to be pushed so, but it was awkward as well.

Qrow simply grinned contentedly, obviously not perturbed in the slightest. All around them shoppers milled about them, passing behind and ahead of them. They paid hardly any mind to the three travelers, though, either rushing to get home to relieve themselves of their packages and parcels or to spend coins on new ones.

They had stopped at a port city, a trading hub between Atlas and the rest of the kingdoms, as well as the only feasible way for cross continental travel. Its name was Travesty. Ruby had inquired about it curiously at first, but when Weiss began to recite the history of suffering the city had formed its foundations upon the brunette had quickly lost interest.

"You know, I don't get why all those ladies wear makeup and fancy dresses. From my experiences, they only make you uncomfortable." Ruby voiced, sitting down and staying still for once. She was eyeing a particular group of large woman, their dresses frilly and pompous. They held delicate umbrellas in their plump, jewellery garnished hands, and ridiculous hats with colourful feathers from exotic birds pinned into their material.

"Human society is comprised out outward appearance and political intrigue behind closed doors, Ruby. A person's greatest weapons are there wealth and standing in the royal hierarchy." Weiss told her, and Ruby scoffed.

"Why do I need a fancy dress? Thorn is the only weapon I need, and I'd say I look fine without all those powders and waxes."

Weiss felt a small smile on her lips. "I don't doubt it. However, while a sword can win you a battle against one or two enemies, being the ruler of a kingdom through political prowess can win you victories against entire nations."

Ruby shrugged, brushing a hand through her hair. "I don't like politics. They're messy, and the people involved in them aren't overly likeable."

Weiss nodded her head. "I'd agree."

Qrow lead them past a colourful gathering of merchant carts, sellers selling all forms of items. The most eccentric of them being the skulls of various animals, carved and painted to resemble mocking of Grimm creatures. They were meant as charms as to ward the creatures away. The throng of bodies and voices pressed in on all sides. Weiss wondered if they'd ever make it through. Eventually the horses did push out of the gathering and onto a much emptier road. The smell of salt was strong in the air here, overpowering the meat and spices that permeated the city square.

With the liveliness of the trade center seemed to go Ruby's excited behaviour, and she mellowed. Weiss would have liked to ask her questions now about her past, her heritage, what Vale was like. After pushing a few times at Qrow, however, she had garnered that he didn't want Weiss prying in either of their pasts. It was none of her business, after all. She disagreed; if Ruby and her were to be partners, they should be familiar with one another.

"How are you enjoying Atlas, then, Ruby?"

Ruby seemed surprised to hear the question. "Hmm. I'd say that I've had a, uhm... An acceptably wondrous time!"

Weiss felt pleased. "I'm glad."

Qrow stopped at a tavern dubbed Coattails & Veils, the painted visage of a woman wearing a tall hat hanging from a wooden tab above the door. Through the wooden walls, they could hear the making of merriment as if a circus had deigned to enter, even if it was only midday. "Pay for two rooms, wait here for me." Qrow directed, and started to hand Weiss jingling pouch of coins.

"Nay, I can pay for it myself." She said, holding a hand out in refusal.

Qrow shrugged, pocketing the money again. "Suit yourself. Dust knows I don't mind. Now, off with you two."

When the two of them were standing on the ground, Qrow sped off in the same direction, towards the docks.

"So, what, are we just supposed to wait in a room until he comes back? It's still early..." Ruby pouted, looking in Qrow's direction with resentment.

Weiss looked around. She didn't want to deny Ruby the opportunity of exploring more of Travesty, but she didn't feel like Qrow would be gone that long. "We're to do as Qrow said, Ruby. I'd rather not incur his wrath."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Weiss, but offered no words of protest.

Weiss felt out of place as she stepped into the tavern, the smell of heavy mead assaulting her. Roast ham wafted from somewhere deep within and raucous laughing boomed throughout the lively tavern. Ruby looked around with a grinning face, her feelings towards the Coattails & Veils having changed.

They stepped up to a counter, where a woman with brown, curly hair smiled at them. She had a pair of floppy ears that matched the colour of her hair atop her head. "Aye, how may I 'elp you?" She asked with an accent.

Ruby's attention snapped to the girl, who she stared openly at. "We request two rooms for the night." Weiss said, dropping a white coin purse on the counter. The woman flashed them a bright smile and pried it open, spilling the contents onto the wooden surface. Ws looked over and caught Ruby staring at the woman's ample bosom, then glancing at Weiss' own, which weren't even noticeable under her thin layer of leather.

Weiss swatted Ruby's shoulder conspicuously. She yelped and stared at Weiss with alarm.

"Right, I'll show ye to yer rooms, then! This way, please!" The woman said happily. When the woman stepped out from behind the counter, Weiss flushed. Her dress was cut very short, revealing even up to her thighs, which were looked creamy and smooth. Weiss wondered how such a creature had ended up working an inn rather than bedding a lord.

Unsurprising, Ruby stared transfixed at the woman the entire time. Weiss swatted Ruby again, and the brunette looked at Weiss, abashed.

"So, what brings ye 'ere to Travesty?" The innkeeper asked, leading them up a steep set of steps. Weiss kept her eyes cast downwards. She wondered if she'd accidently walked into a brothel rather than an inn. Modesty wasn't really an issue with her back home in her keep, where she'd grown up with the maids and other noble daughters, but in unfamiliar cities like this, she simply felt too awkward.

"Traveling. To Vale." Weiss answered shortly, noting that Ruby was red faced and looking down at her worn boots. At least the girl was part shameful.

"Vale!" The woman exclaimed, her entire body bouncing as she miss-stepped and caught herself. "Oi, sorry 'bout that. Anyhow, Vale, eh? I 'ear it's a great place, ne'er been there me'self, though."

Weiss nodded, before realizing that the woman couldn't see her and feeling like a fool. "Yes, I hear similar. I'm excited to get there."

They made it to the top of the stairs and immediately banked right down a hallway with white plaster walls. The woman pulled out two sets of keys made of cold iron. "They're marked fer ya, same as the doors. I hope ya enjoy yer stay! And," She said, turning to face them and flashing Weiss a sultry grin, "if ye find yerself needing anything, I'll be downstairs. We offer all sorts of services here." Her tone of voice left little to be implied.

With that she took her leave, and left Weiss sputtering for a response. She suddenly realized why Qrow had chosen this tavern; it suited him. Ruby looked offended that she hadn't been addressed as well, but Weiss could understand why. Ruby's features were still soft and childlike enough to pass her off for a youngster.

Weiss found the door with a square carved into its wooden surface, matching the notched rune in one of the keys. Swinging the door open, Weiss felt disdain build in her. The room wasn't large, and only housed a single bed, a muggy mirror hanging on the wall next to a stand with a pair of unlit wax candles and a washing basin large enough to only sit in on the floor. It was steaming, and Weiss wondered if the staff regularly switched water for unclaimed rooms. Back in Coldfort it was a common practice to simply always have bathing water, whether it was an occupied room or not.

"It's... Quaint." Weiss said, her upper lips curling in a bit of a sneer. Ruby giggled at Weiss' response, then threw herself at the bed, flopping down into it with a great whoop. Weiss rolled her eyes. A single draped window cloaked the room in a shaded darkness. Weiss went over and pulled the curtains to either side of the frame, appreciating the view of the docks it gave her. Ships of huge size docked there, and workers milled about like small ants to unload cargo from their decks. Masts spiked upwards, looking like swaying poles as the waves of the blue sea rocked their hulls from side to side.

Weiss sighed, and began to throw away her leathers as she turned away from the view. She stripped down to a simple cotton pair of traveling trousers and a silken shirt that hung loosely on her. "Who's washing first?" She asked, while simultaneously motioning for Ruby to remove her boots.

Ruby began to tug them off without argue. "Uhm, you can go first. I'm probably dirtier."

Weiss accepted this and dabbed her toe in the water. It was nice. Although, she wished she'd brought some of her bathing oils and scents with her.

She stripped out of the rest of her clothes and stepped into the small basin, kneeling down and picking up the bristle brush beside her. There was a sponge as well, which she submerged in the water and wrung out before scrubbing at herself with it. It felt good to rinse the dirt and sweat from her skin. "So, Ruby, I wanted to inquire about your home. It seems rude of me to not ask, as you know a great deal about mine."

Ruby looked over from the bed, her eyes not even bothering to travel Weiss. She felt a pang of envy; her body really didn't leave anything to the imagination. "Oh, you know. It's small."

"Yes, but surely there's more to it than 'It's small.'"

"Not really. It's farmland. There is my dad and then there's my sister. Oh, she left a while ago to become a huntress as well. Maybe we'll see her!"

"Perhaps. What's her name?"

"Yang."

"Ah." Weiss thought back to Ruby's dream those many nights ago. So, that was Yang. "Ruby, if you could get my back for me?"

"Sure!" Ruby happily agreed, leaping from the bed and taking the sponge to Weiss' back. One of her soft hands were placed on the small of Weiss' back. It followed the sponge up her spine and between her shoulder blades. "Wow, you know, you have really smooth skin."

Weiss nodded. "That's the fault of many expensive oils."

Ruby giggled. "I always thought they were a little ridiculous."

Weiss sighed. "Your disregard of finery is foolish. There's nothing wrong with being culturally adept."

Ruby scoffed and finished washing Weiss' back. Weiss scooped up some of the water and ran it through her hair while Ruby sat behind her on her knees.

"Have you ever been drunk before?"

"Me? No, not once. I've tasted whines before, and your uncle's strong brew. But I've never been drunk."

"I have. I toppled an entire keg of ale on my dad. He laughed, and we both smelled like beer for weeks." Ruby snickered, and Weiss tried not to think less of Ruby for it.

"So, what is it like in Patch?"

Ruby paused in her scrubbing for a moment. "Kind of like Travesty in that its got a port city, but more... Grey, sodden, you know? Less happy and stuff. It's a rough place." Her washing resumed.

The image of a foggy island with rocky cliffs and harsh terrain entered Weiss' head. "Was it hard growing up there? What kind of education did you receive?"

"Oh, uhm, you know..." Ruby gave a nervous titter, "I mean, it was fun growing up... As for education, well, I didn't really get much... I can read, and I know my figures, but that's it."

Weiss nodded. "That's more than most of the lower folk get. Count oneself lucky."

"Lower folk?"

Weiss looked at Ruby queerly, then shrugged. "The peasants. The farmers and militia. Or, in other words, the lower folk."

Ruby was silent for a moment, then seemed to accept the term and grunt in indifference. She finished with Weiss' back almost right after.

"Alright, your turn." Weiss announced as she wrung her hair out and stepped out of the water. She shivered in the cold, naked as she was. Ruby kindly averted her eyes, and Weiss made it to the bed where her pack of personal belongings lay.

Ruby stripped out of her clothing and fit herself into the basin. She was a little broader than Weiss, and a lot curvier. Weiss appraised her body with an appreciative eye. When Ruby was grown, she'd be quite a woman to look at. Ruby herself was modest, turning away from Weiss and going through the process with haste and silence.

"Do you need your back done?" Weiss asked, slipping her shirt over her head.

"I 'spose." Ruby answered, looking over her shoulder and holding out the sponge. Despite her curvature and well-balanced body, she also somehow pulled off looking gangly and bony. It was an odd image.

Ruby hid her face while Weiss did her work, taking her time while she traced Ruby's back. To her great surprise, Ruby housed thousands of small white scars, not large enough to raise any bumps but enough to be seen.

"Ruby... These scars, they're the marks of one who's had a lot in life that's far from fair." She breathed, tracing a single scar that traveled the width of Ruby's shoulder blades. It was wide and raised, the flesh a puffy pink. Ruby shivered.

"Grimm. That's what Yang says." She shrugged.

"Grimm?" Weiss inquired, pressing the flat of her hand in the middle of Ruby's scar. She imagined Ruby would have had to be young if she didn't remember. And yet, the scar almost seemed fresh.

"That's what they say. I don't really remember, so I can't really argue it."

Weiss nodded, letting her hand travel the length of the scar one more time before she finished washing Ruby's back. When she was done, Ruby stepped out of the basin and dressed herself faster than Weiss had ever seen her do anything else. The front of her body was very shapely, Weiss thought, more than a little grudgingly. Weiss had gotten her face from her mother, but not her body, a fact she envied.

They sat together on the edge of the bed a few minutes afterwards, Weiss intertwining her delicate fingers through Ruby's thick hair, twisting it and removing knots. She had begged Ruby to allow her to deal with the rats nest it had been. "So, have you ever met the Headmaster of Vale's hunting guild?" Weiss asked.

"Nope. I wanted to, but he was off- Ow! Watch it!" Ruby hissed, jerking away when Weiss yanked at a particular knot that was being stubborn.

"Sorry..." Weiss muttered, and Ruby settled back down.

"Anyhow, he was off on a mission, and I had to leave to Atlas first."

Weiss nodded. The tip of her tongue prodded at the corner of her mouth as she carefully and meticulously weaved Ruby's strands of hair out of their tangled embrace. A feeling of succession ran through her when she could finally freely move her fingers through Ruby's hair, which was so thick and soft that Weiss was able to compare it to even her own.

Qrow suddenly burst into the room, announcing his arrival with a loud belch. Weiss looked at him, undignified.

"Dunce! We were just washing only minutes ago; what if you'd walked in on one of us? Perhaps be a little more careful about such things!" She scolded, and Ruby snickered.

Qrow stared at her blankly, then shrugged. He looked a little abashed, if only by a little. "Sorry, princess. You have my word that I'll be careful from here on out. Anyways, just wanted you both to know that passage has been secured to leave for Vale tomorrow. It'll be in the early morn; they're reports of White Fang around, and I'd like to be away from here before one of you end up dead." He said all of this as if it was only a minor detail, but Weiss' pulse quickened dramatically.

"White Fang? Should we not leave now?" Her voice was high pitched.

Qrow shook his head. "Tomorrow is the best I could do. Besides, we need the rest. The man we'll be traveling with runs a merchant boat, and he's not the nice kind. He only agreed because I'm good with a sword."

Weiss paled. White Fang, in the city with them.

She thought of her mother, and emotional pain lashed with hunger at her. She withdrew from it, blocking out all thoughts of such things. It didn't do to dwell on them.

"Very well. We'll remain in our rooms, and stay vigilant." She managed in a calm voice. Ruby had already removed Thorn from its scabbard and leaned it against the stand. Qrow nodded and left.

And then they waited.

* * *

 _ **To the Guest Review; I trust in my reasons for making Ruby a better swordsman. Just because they received similar allotted amounts of time for training doesn't equate to them being perfectly equal. I don't feel like writing a novel here, but I would love to discuss it with you through PM's if possible! I have many reasons, and would certainly appreciate your thoughts on the matter.**_

 _ **To the rest of my readers, thanks for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing! Hope you enjoyed!**_


	7. Arc I: Fairing Lady

Ruby shivered in the early morning, shouldering her pack and rubbing her neck. Up above the lone form of a seagull circled overhead around the mast of the _Fairing Lady_ , the merchant ship they'd be sailing on. Beside her Weiss tried and failed to stifle a yawn, and Ruby smiled. In her foggy, morning mindset, she found that Weiss made her oddly giddy.

Qrow stood behind them both like a looming watchdog. He was quiet and tense, glancing at every shadow with suspicion. The deck of the _Fairing Lady_ buzzed with activity as its crew finished with the preparations. A loud snap and a shout of alarm made Ruby jump. She looked around for the source, but she couldn't find it. With a shrug, she shifted her weight to the other foot.

Then a man in a white coat that brushed against the heels of his leather thigh boots came out from the captain's cabin, a wide brimmed hat of matching color held to his head with one hand. He approached them with a confident swagger and a stern face. When Ruby looked into his eyes, she found they were steely grey. They had a cold, calculating look to them, and Ruby internally shied from him when he got closer.

"Ah, Qrow. You're right on time. I like that in a man." He said. His voice was smooth and strong, to match his handsome features and stature. Ruby's eyes fell to the silver hilt at his waist. It resembled that of a cutlass. "I regret to say that we'll be a little late. How about me and you go to the tavern and have a drink before sailing?"

Ruby looked up at Qrow, who's expression was blank. She felt Weiss stiffen beside her.

"Sure thing, Jack. I could use one." He said to the merchant. Ruby looked at Weiss, who was busy scrutinizing the man. He noticed her and smiled. It was friendly, for a moment, and then it turned into curiosity.

"Say, I know it's not much of my business, but I was wondering what your business is about." His tone was polite enough, but Ruby bristled anyways.

"You're right, it's not really anyone's business but mine own. We're hunters doing hunter things. Leave it at that." Qrow was equally polite, but the warning was there. Jack looked away from Weiss and shrugged.

"Suits me. What isn't my business isn't my business."

Qrow nodded in agreement. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd have the girls load up onto the ship now."

Jack looked them both up and down, appraising. Ruby didn't feel violated, like she expected she would have. There was no lust of hunger in his eyes, only obvious concern about letting two strangers onto his ship. After a wait, he said, "Suits me. You can keep yourself to my cabin. Touch anything, and I'll know. There's some whisky, if you're interested."

Then he and Qrow walked off towards Coattails & Veils. As they entered the building, Ruby heard a chuckle from Jack.

"In my honest opinion, I think it's rude." Weiss said, undignified. Ruby nodded vehemently.

"Definitely rude. But, it's not every day you get to see the inside of a captain's cabin, is it?" She said, attempting to brighten the situation.

Weiss looked at her thoughtfully with bleary eyes. "Why, yes, I suppose you're right. I've never actually been on a ship before. I hear it's an experience."

Ruby grinned. "See? It's not so bad! Besides, Uncle Qrow and Jack won't be badgering us for a while."

Weiss nodded. "Qrow is good at that. Jack gives me an odd feeling, though. He seems more than a merchant. Did you notice the cutlass?"

Ruby agreed. "Yeah, he's... Uh, discon... Dishcen... Conerting..."

"Disconcerting."

"Thank you!" Ruby blushed, feeling foolish. Perhaps she was better with swordplay, but Weiss outmatched her when it came to vocabulary by quite a wide margin.

"Come, let's see these captain quarters." Weiss said, taking the lead.

Ruby fell in behind her. Her excitement and anticipation almost boiled over when she stepped onto the wooden plank connecting the boat to the dock. It was stable and solid beneath her feet, where the dark and grey water sloshed and frothed against the wooden poles. She remembered her first time on a boat, on her journey to Atlas from Vale. She remembered the crew telling her plenty of stories about the dark depths of the sea, and how many secrets, treasures and monsters it held. It was equally enchanting and terrifying. Ruby's thoughts sobered themselves then, to a manageable level.

None of the men looked up at them as they passed. They were all busy fixing whatever they had broken, which was apparently, from what Ruby could garner, a very important piece of machinery for the ship. She didn't know what piece it was or what functions it performed, but the men laboured heavily in their damp breeches and thin shirts.

The captain's cabin turned out to be spacious and well adorned. There was a thick, mahogany desk to one end of the room with a sea chart spread out along its surface, paper weights holding the four corners down. A single dagger with a jewelled hilt was plunged deep into the heart of the chart, as if it was some marker. Journals and stray papers were strewn around the desk without care, or so it seemed to Ruby.

A bookcase stood against another wall, nailed into the planks of wood to keep it from sliding when the waves got rough. A collection of books, some with titles in languages Ruby couldn't read, filled the spaces in between the selves. Most of them looked old and well worn, but a few were almost royal looking, with gold and silver inlays and letters so delicately engraved into the spine that they must have taken weeks to write.

On the final wall was a bed, which didn't look anywhere even close to as comfy as Weiss' own bed, but appeared to be much more pleasant than the mattress in the Coattails & Veils tavern room they shared.

A half filled bottle of whisky sat open upon a small table beside the bed.

"He must be really rich." Ruby exclaimed, tracing a careful finger along the title of a book she didn't know. _Hitorium Etna Remnant._ It was old. The book was thick, and sadly, Ruby didn't know the language.

"Yes, wealthy indeed. I figured such from what I saw of the ship." Weiss observed, leaning over the sea chart.

Ruby pouted, regretting that she wasn't as well versed in the world as her partner was. A thought occurred to her. "Hey, Weiss, can you read this?" She asked, pulling out a book and presenting it to Weiss.

She hissed in annoyance, snatching the book from Ruby. "We were directed not to touch anything other than the whisky." Then she looked at the book's title. The leather was old and scarred, and the pages yellowed and curled. "I have no idea what language this is written in. It resembles Vacuo, but I can't be certain." She said, thumbing through the pages.

Ruby shrugged. At least Weiss didn't know it all. Weiss put it back on the shelf for her, then knelt down and started muttering off titles to herself. Ruby let her be and tried to make sense of the sea chart, which she utterly failed to do. With a sigh she sat herself down on the soft mattress, content enough to watch Weiss and listen to the sounds of the crew members.

Weiss let out a pleased gasp and pulled a book off the shelf. "I haven't ever seen such a splendid copy of this one, ever." She muttered.

"What one?"

Weiss looked up and blinked at Ruby. She looked startled, as if she had forgotten Ruby was there, before presenting the book to Ruby. "It's a complete collection of a very esteemed poet. His pen name is Jac, One-Man Army. No one actually knows his real name, though a lot of historians and collectors of such novelties have tried." Weiss sat down beside Ruby, obviously delighted.

Ruby stared at the dyed blue leather cover, then shrugged. "Oh. I thought it was something about, like, I don't know. Atlas or something." She said, interest dimming. She wasn't too keen about poetry.

Weiss gave her a queer look. "Ruby, I'm very much proud of my nation and its accomplishments, but even I am not as infatuated by Atlas as you seem to be. Whatever is with your attraction to those cold mountains?"

"It's different. It's got a lot of cool customs and really awesome people. Reading the history about your people is like reading a really great story or something. It's crazy, some of the things you guys have done." Ruby answered easily. Weiss' eyes gleamed, and she sat straighter.

"Thank you. I understand." She said proudly. Ruby had to absorb the giggle that rose in her throat. She knew that Weiss was going to strut like a lord, now.

Dawn smote the grey-blue skies before Qrow and Jack returned, the blazing sun streaking the waters in brilliant rays of gold. All of Travesty was lit up with the shades of red, pink, orange and yellow, the colors clamouring together to make a dazzling spectacle. Ruby had her face pressed up against the porthole window of the cabin when the door opened, admitting the merry pair of Jack and Qrow.

"I've never once heard tell of such an outrageous tale, Qrow. Aye, you're a man I'm glad to have upon my deck!"

Qrow wheezed, and Ruby turned to look at him curiously. Tears brimmed his eyes, and his face held a red flush. "Y-you never know, Jack! Perhaps if you're unlucky enough, we can experience it this very trip!"

The two dissolved into an uproar of laughter and broken sentences, the humour completely lost on both Weiss and Ruby. Jack fell into his chair at the desk and laughed with Qrow until they began to get control over themselves. After they were done, Qrow seemed to return to his more reserved self. "Jack, as fun as it is here in Travesty, we really need to get going. We're late."

Both the girls turned to face the two men. Weiss, who had still been engorging herself within the pages of her poetry book, discretely set the tome down behind her.

Jack breathed a sigh and banished the rest of his chuckling. "You're right. I'll give the order, then. You three wait here." He bid them, getting up and leaving the cabin.

Ruby heard Jack shout the order to set sails, which was followed by a loud cheer and the thump of a drum being played somewhere on board. Slowly it ebbed itself up into a loud and hasty beat. Weiss and Ruby looked at one another in discomfort; neither enjoyed the drum.

A grin did seem to threaten to break out upon Weiss' face as the vessel pushed away from the pier and gained momentum. The sail was unfurled and caught the wind immediately, and the sounds of the oars splashing in the water managed to keep up with the drum.

"There you are, girls. You can stop worrying; you're safe aboard the _Fairing Lady._ " Jack said eventually, after the drum had died away. The oars stopped soon enough as well, the momentum of the ship carrying itself forward. A burly man with hairy arms and an unwashed beard poked his head in through the cabin door, reporting on the status of the ship. It was all good, he said, and that they were on course. Jack smiled and waved him off.

"It's a shame you picked such a cold time of year to sail the seas, hunter. There are many sights to see along this route, no doubt about it. Have you ever seen Nevermore Roost? Nay, I doubt it. Tall as the tallest spires in all of Remnant. Its length reaches up into the clouds, and it would take an entire week just to circle its base." Jack lamented, grabbing Ruby's attention.

"Are you telling the truth? I've never heard of something that big, and you think that anything that huge wouldn't be hard to miss!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Aye," Jack said, nodding his head solemnly. His white hat dipped so far that it covered his entire face. "The Nevermore Roost is a sight to see. I've only seen it once, and only from a distance. You can't see them, but you can surely hear the Grimm that reside there. Best to steer away from it in most cases, but I wanted it marked on my map. Would hate to run into it on chance."

Ruby breathed in wonder, her mouth shaped like an 'O'. Weiss seemed unimpressed, likely that she'd heard of it already.

"It's just as he says, believe it or not. I've seen it a few times." Qrow admitted, and there was no trace of sarcasm on his voice. Now Weiss seemed interested. Jack nodded seriously again, then waved his hand.

"Enough with talk about landmarks! There are more important things to discuss. Such as payment for ferrying you lot across."

Ruby and Weiss looked at Qrow in confusion, who in turn looked at Jack in similar manner. "Far as I could tell, the payment was my protection."

Jack agreed by dipping his head. Then he got out of the chair, strode to the end table and retrieved the whisky, which he filled a shot glass with. "Aye, so it was. And that was how it was going to be. That is, of course, until I realized who it was I was giving a ride to. The princess of Atlas, Weiss Schnee." As he said this, he leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk, resting his chin in both hands.

The cabin fell deathly silent as everyone but Qrow looked at Jack in open shock. "Surely you're mistaken, I am not who you say I am!" Weiss proclaimed, standing up on her feet.

"So you say, but your brooch betrays you." He said, looking directly at the aforementioned jewelry.

Weiss paled, looking down at the piece of royal jewellery that Qrow had given her shortly before they arrived at Travesty. She hadn't worn it in the city for this reason. Now it hung in full display against her white leather breast, bare for all to see and guess her identity. With a red face she stuffed it on the inside of her coat.

"Now that we're all done keeping secrets, I'd appreciate some open words. Originally I was only transporting three hunters. Now I'm transporting two hunters and the Atlesian Princess herself?" Jack took off his hat to reveal a head of stark white hair. He set the brimmed hat on the edge of his desk before taking a seat on the mahogany surface himself. "Things have changed, and I'd like my payment in the form of information. From what I knew, the princess wasn't due to leave for another year or two to come. I'd hate to have to bring you in for kidnapping the heiress." He turned a scrutinizing eye to Weiss, then. "But you don't seem like you're being stolen."

Qrow scowled at Weiss, who tried to sternly hold his gaze before looking away, disquieted. Then Qrow sighed and leaned against the door. "Alright, alright. We didn't steal any princesses; both the king and the Huntsman Guild are in agreement that we needed to speed this along. We're running out of time to counter the Grimm threats, so we're taking Weiss back to Vale in order to train her faster. It's incredibly important that this doesn't reach the public. The king himself vehemently requests as such."

Jack nodded wisely at the end, as if he has suspected all this. "So, the Grimm are really that big of a problem now. Well, as a merchant of trade, I make my fortune off of both goods and gossip. However, if the king wishes it so, your secret is safe with me." He declared, giving Weiss a wink. She didn't see it, though, occupied as she was with the hem of her sleeves.

"You have my appreciation. Now, if you'll kindly excuse, we'll be retiring to our own quarters now." Qrow said.

Jack nodded, sitting himself behind his desk, turning to compass, and sea chart. "Suits me. I'll come calling for you later, good Qrow. Don't you doubt it."

Qrow grunted in recognition and pushed the door open, perhaps a little too hard. Ruby and Weiss both got up and followed him out onto the deck. They winced a little when Qrow closed the door in a similar manner. He muttered curses on his way down below deck, where they found the first mate's quarters, which Qrow had paid for.

Inside, Qrow let out a frustrated growl and sat himself down on a red cushioned chair. "That," He said, directing a glare at Weiss, "Was a heavy mistake."

Weiss scowled darkly but offered no retort. Ruby, however, was confused. "How so? Jack said he'd keep it a secret, right?"

Qrow looked at her with exasperation. His expression changed to one of reassignment after a moment, obviously realizing who it was he was addressing. "It is deadly, Ruby, because of where, and who, learnt of it. Any one of the crew could have been eavesdropping. A hunter on board a merchant's ship is abnormal in itself. Today, there are three."

Ruby looked at him quizzically. "Why does it matter so much if the world knows that we're training early? Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

Qrow shook his head, frustration clouding his face. "Not so, pipsqueak. If the populace knew of this, they would draw to only one conclusion; we are running out of time. And right they would be."

Ruby sat down in a chair like Qrow's, a sullen look on her face. Weiss stood with her head bowed. Above them were the sounds of the crew talking loudly to each other, voices muffled through the thick planks of wood.

A frown creased Ruby's face. "Well, what if we tell them we're not running out of time? They'd believe us, we're hunters!"

Qrow was quiet, then shrugged. "It could work. But evidence puts that lie to rest. We wouldn't be able to hold up such a facade for long. We're caught in the debt of a merchant of Travesty. I'd rather chew off my own leg, stick it and roast it on a fire to eat."

The image made Ruby squirm in discomfort. Weiss sighed and sat on the edge of a single bed. "My apologies, master Qrow. Do forgive me." Her voice was quiet when she spoke.

Qrow nodded, "Don't sweat it too much. Hide the brooch; the last thing we could use now is a dull witted lout to come along and gather himself quite the rumour." He then flicked his wrist, as if waving the issue away.

Weiss obediently pulled the brilliant piece of jewellery from around her neck and placed it within one of her many coat pockets. Qrow nodded with satisfaction, took out his flask, and took a deep swig.

"But Jack seems like a good person!" Ruby protested.

Qrow shrugged again. "Maybe."

Ruby looked over to Weiss, who was looking at the floor of the cabin with such an intensity she thought the wood would break under such a gaze. Obviously Weiss was troubled, but other than her expressionless face it didn't show. Ruby wanted to console her, but she was presented with an obstacle in not knowing how. So instead she twisted her hands and kicked her feet, watching both Qrow and Weiss. When it became apparent that neither were going to discuss it anymore, Ruby excused herself and left for the deck.

Up here, the cold was harsh and the air was moist with salt-water spray. She buried her hands in her cloak and stood by the railing, watching the dark waters ripple with discontent. In the distance she could see white caps rising with the waves and crashing back down into the mighty sea bed. Looking around, she could see nothing but the endless grey expanse. It made her feel tiny and insignificant compared to the size of the world. She frowned.

She wishes there was something to be done about the situation. She couldn't think of one, however. It made her wish she was as good with people as Weiss and Qrow were.

The sound of approaching footsteps, presumably Weiss', reached Ruby from behind. She didn't turn to look as the princess came to stand next to her. "I'm afraid I've made a mess of things." She said.

Weiss' white alabaster blew rebelliously around her face. With a huff she reached up and tucked it behind her ear, leaving a few unruly strands behind. In her white and black leather, reinforced with engraved silver bands around her gloves, thighs, shoulders and boots, she cut a beautiful and powerful figure. Against the grey backdrop and coupled with her gloomy expression, she seemed haunting.

"We all make mistakes, Weiss. No one is flawless, not even you." Ruby told her with a reassuring smile.

Weiss considered her words for a moment and then nodded. "I suppose not. Yet, how can I not be, when I'm so important to the world, when the people of Remnant are relying on my added strength to their struggling armies? It's a larger burden than I thought it would be." She said, and too Ruby's surprise, leaned into her shoulder.

After the initial shock, Ruby nodded sagely, silently agreeing. "I don't know, Weiss. I think we can only do as best we can and nothing more."

When Weiss looked her in the eyes, Ruby noted something that left her confused; pity. "That makes sense. Still, a lot of trouble could have been saved if I'd remembered to hide the brooch. It's a shame."

Ruby, distracted by Weiss' odd look, simply nodded. They both turned back to the water and watched the horizon.

A sense of longing and sorrow brewed within Ruby, but so too did anticipation and excitement. She was weary of the road, and longed for Vale, her home.

 _I'll be home soon, dad._

* * *

 _ **Here it is, the fifth chapter! Finally heading for Vale. One can only hope they make it without any mishaps. Thanks for reading and supporting the story! You guys are awesome!**_

 _ **Too the Guest Reviewer; I see. Fair enough! I deeply appreciate your reviews. They're wordy, well written, and bring up a warranted concern that I hope I address for you and all other readers to present a decent story.**_

 _ **Much love! -Aegis**_


	8. Arc I: Patch, Sanctuary, Coldfort

"Alright, lets- argh!" Qrow shouted in alarm as Weiss snuck a dirty cheap shot and thwacked him hard on the leg with her makeshift sword. He jumped back and glared at her, nursing his now bruised leg. "Good, but bad!" He growled, and Weiss let out a sound of frustration.

Ruby kicked her legs in amusement, watching from her seat on a pile of strapped crates. Weiss had asked Qrow to spar with her lately, rather than Ruby, for the sake of improvement. Qrow had readily agreed at first. Now it was becoming quite obvious that the two of them just didn't mix well.

"Do you want me to train with you are not?" He asked, and Weiss stubbornly crossed her arms. Qrow threw up his arms, let out a great sigh and stormed over to where Ruby sat. His coat, normally buttoned closed, was open, revealing the thin shirt underneath. He began doing it up as he walked.

"She's insufferable." He said, leaning against the boxes. "I can't pity you enough."

Ruby laughed, looking on at Weiss, who stood leaning on her elbows against the rail, gazing at the clear sky. "She says the same thing about me, you know."

Qrow grunted in amusement at that. "Course she does."

It had been a day and a half since they'd set out, and the air had only grown colder. Ruby was wrapped thickly, and her breath came out in white puffs. Despite the cold, everything was calm and settled, and the waves sloshed gently against the ship's body. Jack said another few days and they'd be landing in southern Remnant, Vale.

Qrow watched Weiss with Ruby for a while before mumbling something about a drink and some food and leaving her. Ruby, more interested in Weiss than food, stayed put.

The feeling Weiss caused her was so confounding that Ruby didn't bother thinking about it or trying to understand what it was. All she knew was that Weiss made her happy and that she was glad Weiss was her partner and friend. Summing it up as such worked easier for her.

Eventually Weiss looked around the deck, found Ruby, and started her way. Ruby smiled at her, and Weiss waved a vague hand. "Hi, Ruby. How's the sightseeing?" She asked, reaching where Ruby sat.

Ruby hummed, absently fingering the pommel of her sword. "Fun, I guess." She giggled. "I like it when you rile him up."

Weiss grinned guiltily. "I shouldn't have done that... He's going to need some convincing to continue sparring with me, I reckon."

Ruby agreed, then held a leather gloved hand out to Weiss. "Coming up?"

Weiss accepted the hand and allowed Ruby to help her climb the five foot pile. She sat with a heavy sigh, and Ruby noticed she was favouring one hip over the other. "What happened?"

Weiss looked at her quizzically before catching on. "Oh. This. Qrow got me good... It's nothing, just a bruise. My aura should heal it fast enough."

"Ah."

"Ruby?"

"Hm?"

"Just what are we doing out here in the cold?"

Ruby screwed her face up, realising she really didn't have a reason to be out here anymore. She could, after all, go downstairs, be warm and still be with Weiss.

And so they ended up in the first mate's cabin, Weiss stretched out on the cot and Ruby hanging in the nets on the ceiling, looking down at Weiss, whom looked back in silence. It was a decidedly odd image, but they were comfortable enough.

They talked about things aimless, though there was a constant shadow on Weiss' face, and her answers were often short and curt.

So the days passed, one, two, and then the third, which, by mid afternoon, signalled the first sighting of land.

Ruby had been watching the crew mates prepare for the landing since morning, growing more and antsier as the hours passed. When the voice up in the crow's nest shouted out for land, Ruby nearly stood on the rail, a hand over her eyes as she strained to catch sight of the forests that belonged only to Vale.

"You're not going to see it from here, Hunter." Jack said, appearing beside her like a ghost. Ruby jumped, nearly losing her balance and toppling over the wooden railing. Only Jack's hand on her shoulder saved her from a chilly venture. "Careful, or you're going to catch something."

"Like a fish?"

"That and some more."

Ruby giggled. "Captain Jack, sir, where's Vale? I don't see it."

"Hidden behind the fog, Hunter. Don't worry, within the next four hours you'll be able to see her." He told her, and Ruby nodded. She'd spent little time with Jack, but after awhile she'd decided that she liked him after all, even if he was rather shrewd.

As the ship drew closer to land, Ruby spent her entire time by the rail, gripped by a sense of finality and beginning. On one side, she was about to leave the last four months of her life behind. On the other, she was about to start a new life. Her hands tightened their grip on the rail on their own accord. She was so close to being a hunter, now.

Then the fog broke and the landmass that was Vale stormed through the veil. Mountains so tall they passed unstoppably into the clouds stood like great giants along the shore, broken sparingly by thick growths of forests. From where Ruby stood, it looked all like one giant, unlikely mass.

Slowly the ship veered from its straight course to one more slanted, and the _Fairing Lady_ slipped in between the central land mass of Vale and a gathering of small, sharp islands. Ruby turned and stared as they passed beneath a long overhang belonging to a cliff, part of some landmark, Ruby was sure, that she couldn't name.

For the next hour they followed the unnamed river, until a large island came into view just off the coast of central Vale. It was a relatively flat piece of land, with a small mountain peeking out from the midst of all the skeletal forests. It was a terribly dreary sight. A small, poor looking village rested on its shore, and multiple fishing boats milled about it. Ruby grinned, breathing deeply the scent of fish, rotting, rotted and fresh alike.

She wished Weiss would come up from below deck to see it, see her own home, but part of her was also glad that she didn't. She didn't really think that it would impress her much at all. The ship sailed past the island, the colors of a merchant ship flying on its mast, and Ruby was suffused with such a sense of longing that she no longer felt compelled to stand outside and watch.

She made her way down to the shared living quarters, stopping to scramble out of the way of four men carrying a wooden crate. They were grunting with exertion as they lugged the great thing up stairs. She found Weiss dozing on the cot, a book closed beside her. Qrow was nowhere to be seen, no doubt with Jack.

"Mm, hey, Ruby." Weiss mumbled, waving a hand at her. Ruby sat down on the edge of the cot and laid back across the thick of Weiss' thighs, who grunted but didn't comment.

"It's gross outside." Ruby grumped. Weiss chuckled, and propped herself up on her elbows.

"That's odd. I thought you loved it out there on the open water, traversing the waves and such."

"I do. But, we're not in the open water anymore." Ruby twisted her lips. "Right?"

Weiss sighed, and Ruby glanced over to see her roll her eyes. "No, we're not on the open water."

Ruby gave her a toothy smile, and they both giggled. "So, tell me about Vale, Ruby. Or, more specifically, the place we're going." Weiss asked of her, puzzling Ruby.

"How would I know anything about it? I've never been there myself."

Weiss was silent, then sighed. "Of course. So, is there anything I don't know about Vale you could possibly tell me, then?"

Ruby thought for a moment. Multiple well known places and folklore jumped into the forefront of her mind, but she banished them. Weiss had likely heard of them all. "What about Mount Glenn? Have you ever heard of that?"

Weiss lolled her head from side to side for a brief moment. "A fallen neighbouring kingdom. It fell during the Great War, and since then any partitions to recapture have been shunned by both rulers and the Hunter's Guild alike. Yes?"

"Yehp. But, there's a lot of stories about it."

Weiss scoffed, and fell softly onto her back. "If I wanted stories I'd read a book." Ruby huffed, annoyed by her response. "Still, if you feel like it." Weiss said, in a softer, kinder tone. Ruby shrugged, having lost the feeling for story telling in favour of indulging her feelings of homesickness.

They stayed in silence, listening to the buzz of noise that was the crew member's voices, the sounds of cranks, pulleys, ropes and heavy footsteps weighted by crates too heavy for any man to carry alone, and the constant roaring of the sea.

"Ruby, tell me, does this crippling feeling ever leave?" Weiss asked quietly.

Ruby rolled over and pulled herself up onto her knees, kneeling at Weiss' feet. "Feeling?" Ruby asked, cocking her head. Weiss sighed and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest and hiding her chin in them. She had a sad look to her eyes.

"That feeling of loss. I can't describe it as anything else, but I miss Coldfort so much that just the mention of it makes my chest tighten in painful ways." Weiss said, and Ruby felt a pang of pity and understanding. Alas, she knew it too well.

She felt like answering that yes, it did eventually go away, but she abandoned the thought. It wouldn't exactly be true. At least, it wasn't in her case. So she sighed and sidled closer, placing a comforting hand on Weiss' kneecap. "No, it really doesn't. You're going to miss it until you go back, and then you'll probably miss it once you leave again."

Weiss nodded silently.

"That doesn't mean you can't ignore it, though. There's a lot in life to distract yourself with, and I think that's the strategy. To distract yourself, and try not to recognize all the bad stuff." She squeezed Weiss' knee, and the princess smiled appreciatively.

"I miss the cold, believe it or not."

Ruby snorted in disbelief. "Because it's not cold enough out here?"

"The dry cold," Weiss specified, and at that Ruby had to give an agreeing nod. She hadn't been dry since she'd boarded the ship. Of course, that was mostly her fault.

"Well, you know. Vale is pretty dry, and much warmer, too." Ruby told her, and Weiss hummed sadly. _At least,_ thought Ruby, _I'm not alone._ The knowledge was both heartening and saddening.

Ruby removed her hand from Weiss' knee and rubbed it through her glove. She was eager to get going, to start doing things again. There had been quite a knot of energy burning within her ever sense they'd stopped in Travesty. She looked over at Weiss to see her staring unseeingly at the empty ink jar sitting opened on the bed stool and frowned. "Weiss, you should come up with me. There's still a lot of Vale to see from here."

Weiss looked up, interest caught. "Let's," She said, motioning for Ruby to take the lead. With a thin grin, Ruby hopped off the bed and managed her way through the orderly work lines, Weiss staying nimbly behind her. When they reached the deck, Ruby couldn't help but grin. All around her were the lush green forests she was familiar with, if not a tad frost bitten. The forestry clothed all of Vale so thickly that in some places the trees were taller than the smaller mountains that dotted up in seemingly no order. From here, she had to look up in order to see anything, but if she looked in the direction the ship was facing, she could see the Half Crescent, a mountain that appeared to have been carved skilfully into the likeness of a lying crescent moon. It was a mystery, but a beauty. The sun was just peaking over its right jag, which meant morning had ended.

Jack and Qrow stood side by side at the prow, leaning towards each other and speaking in hushed voices. Weiss tugged on her cape, and Ruby turned to look at her questioningly. Weiss pointed to the east, and Ruby looked. "Oh!" She exclaimed happily, grinning from ear to ear. "That's Mount Glenn! It's pretty, isn't it?" She asked, admiring the broken spires and wide, circular domelike roofs she could make out from her position. It was, in all honesty, a gorgeous fallen kingdom.

"Tragically so, I suppose." Weiss agreed, appearing transfixed. Ruby left her to stare at it, content to watch the sun's slow journey above Half Crescent until they broke out into a wide body of water. Half Crescent vanished from view, and suddenly Sanctuary appeared.

"We're here!" Ruby squealed, and Weiss' started looking around at everything with such a frenzy Ruby feared for her neck. "Weiss, Weiss, calm down!" Ruby giggled, and Weiss snapped her attention to Ruby.

"I'm... I'm sorry." She said with a sigh, and Ruby giggled again. It amused her to see Weiss so flustered.

"Come on." She said, grabbing Weiss by the wrist and tugging her towards Qrow.

"It's a pretty place, if I'm being perfectly honest." Jack was saying. "Not much can beat a Vale woman." Both men chuckled at that.

"That's gross." Ruby said, announcing hers and Weiss' arrival. Qrow immediately put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, who shied at the contact for but a brief moment.

"This, Weiss, is Vale. Sanctuary, to be exact. It's our stop." He told her, and she nodded. "From here we'll be staying two days, long enough for me to get reacquainted with the goings-on, and then we travel for Beacon, hunter school." He seemed to have a new breath of life, and like Ruby, appeared excited.

Sanctuary was sprawled out thinly along the cliff side of the massive cove, which dipped down on both sides to eventually submerge smoothly into the water. There was a harbour on both sides, sporting work boats, trade ships, the ships of lords, and other smaller, less important vessels. The buildings were eccentric, shaped to fit the odd landscape. Their walls were mostly made of wood, and sported thatched red clay roofs. In the cliff's face, one could spot wooden shutters, little windows for defending archers to fire. Highest up on that wall, thick, long black cannons jutted out like sores from large, circular portholes, ready to fire no doubt on a moment's notice. The _Fairing Lady_ was spotted and then hailed.

An hour later, they were fully docked.

Ruby stepped out onto the wooden pier and felt a minor sense of vertigo. It still felt like the world should be rocking from side to side. Weiss appeared to be in a similar state, holding onto Ruby's upper arm for support, but the rest of the men around them seemed fine. Deckhands rushed onto the deck to help with the unloading.

"Very well, then." Jack said, smiling at the party of three. His eyes sparkled like fiery jewels beneath his wide brimmed hat, which shadowed the rest of his face. "I do believe I'll be missing your company, Qrow."

"Likewise," Qrow said with a small bow. Jack nodded and turned to Weiss.

"As for you, keep that brooch of yours tucked away. Of all the places to accidently show it, you don't want to do it in Vale." With that warning he stepped through and past them, his thigh boots clicking on the wet wood of the pier.

Weiss, staring intensely at Jack's departing back, said, "Come on, then. Let's not dilly dally and get out of the open. I'd feel much better with a room, a hot bath and some soap." Ruby echoed her agreement, and Qrow shrugged.

"Fine. You two, find whatever you can. We leave tonight, so it doesn't matter much."

Ruby shifted to her other foot even as Weiss leaned against her, another wave of vertigo apparently striking. "I thought we were staying for two days?" Ruby asked.

Qrow grunted as a shadow fell across his face, turning his piercing gaze to Jack's back. "I don't trust him." He stated, and that was enough for both Ruby and Weiss. If Qrow didn't trust something, both were certain it was safe to go with his feelings.

"Alright. Come on, Weiss, before you throw up..." Ruby slipped under Weiss' arm and threw it around her shoulder, and Weiss groaned a protest but didn't make a move to separate. Apparently, the still land was too much for her. Ruby grinned at Qrow, who reached over and tousled her hair.

"Don't get yourself hurt." He said, and then he was simply gone. Ruby looked up, scanning the area, and eventually spotted the crow. She smiled, and hoped that no one had noticed.

It didn't take too long to find an establishment that would be good for two young ladies such as themselves. It was located halfway up the climb of their rise, propped up on one end by two thick poles. Music and laughter rung out from its open windows, and the smell of food made Ruby's stomach grumble.

The inn was called _The Mid Tide,_ and Ruby hoped it wasn't too expensive. Before entering, Weiss pulled herself off Ruby and entered independently of her support. The room was well lit by the sunlight outside, revealing a messy, if not still charming interior. A man with a fiddle stood in a corner, playing a happy tune. Some people nodded their heads in accord to the tempo, but most were busy talking between one another. Ruby approached the man behind the counter, who looked most likely to be in charge. He had a thick red beard, though his head had no hair on top of it. His eyes were steely grey, but he had a kind, laughing face. Ruby noticed immediately that he had two ears above his human set of ears that, from what she could tell, resembled deer ears.

"Hey there, young miss. Can I help you?" He asked at their approach, rubbing down a mug with a stained white cloth.

"Hi!" Ruby greeted happily. "I'm uh, looking for a room. And a bath." She added on the last part, unsure if this place would also feature prepared baths or not. The man raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're going to be waiting on the bath, but I can do you a room easily enough." He said, grunting. "Most the rooms are empty." He explained, setting the mug down. "Come, we'll go find you one." He said, stepping out from behind the counter. Ruby smiled and followed, Weiss right behind her.

Soon enough they were in a small, if not cosy room above the central floor, where the sounds still reached them. There was a bed, a small dresser and a stool. Ruby and Weiss had undressed down to their thin clothes, glad to be out of the leathers. Weiss was still dizzy, so she stayed self confined to the mattress. Ruby was happy to simply stretch out and use Weiss' leg as a pillow.

"Vale seems... Untamed." Weiss said to her as she picked at her nails.

"Um. Like, not settled?"

"Exactly."

"Nah, it's really settled. This is the northern part of Vale, so it's only just recently been doing good. Near Beacon and Central Vale, it's really, really nice. You'll see." Ruby assured her, and Weiss nodded.

"Have you been there before?"

"Once, I went to Central Vale, with my dad and my... Sister." Ruby's pause gave Weiss the incentive to look down at her, but Ruby smiled and didn't look away. Weiss shrugged and went back to her nails, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What was it like?" She asked after a length.

"Oh! Um. I guess the best way to describe would be pretty. You'd say it was probably well accented, or something." Ruby said, smarting. She'd almost mentioned her mother.

"Is it all so forested?" Asked Weiss.

"Yeah. It's nice, really. There's Forever Fall forest, near Beacon, and that one's red." She explained, but Weiss was already nodding.

"Yes, so I've heard. It seems to me that Vale has quite a lot of intriguing marvels." Weiss admitted, and Ruby beamed with pride.

Just then came a knock on the door, and both Ruby and Weiss looked up with sighs of relief. "Bath." They both murmured. Ruby got up to open the door and, sure enough, two men with a steaming, wooden tub stood outside the door. Ruby stepped aside and let them in, where they deposited it in the middle of the room, where the water sloshed harmlessly. They left, leaving behind a big block of yellow soap and a scrubbing brush with it.

This time Ruby got first dibs, and like before, had Weiss wash her back. She tried not to shiver, but the water, hot as it was, could only do so much between the already cool air and Weiss' cold fingers on her back. When Weiss started tracing her long scar, Ruby had to bite her tongue, reminding herself that Weiss was only being curious. It couldn't really hurt simply to have Weiss admire it, even if Ruby detested the blemish.

When Ruby was well cleaned and feeling looser, she helped Weiss with her own back, and couldn't help but wonder if she was scrubbing too hard or too lightly as she did her job in helping. Weiss never complained, only hummed gently to herself a tune that Ruby thought was pretty enough.

Washed, modest, and dressed, both girls sat shoulder to shoulder on the bed, back's against the wall as they waited. Ruby was hungry, but they had limited coin, as most was with Qrow who was no doubt securing their wagon and horses from the _Fairing Lady_ right now.

"Or he's off courting some poor woman." Weiss said with a faint smile when Ruby had brought it up, and Ruby had to grin. Even she could tell that her uncle was promiscuous.

Eventually they dozed in a half dream half waking state, and the day passed them by in a lazy yet comfortable fashion. Ruby was reminded, somewhat, of the days they spent together back in Coldfort, and she found herself missing those moments where they'd sit together in silence and think, or talk.

It didn't take much longer until both of them were softly snoring, slumped against one another and wondering about the fact that princess and commoner daughter were sharing the same room in a tavern.

* * *

Weiss found herself sitting, once again, on the bench of their wagon. It's not that she hated the damn thing; she just hated the damn thing a lot. She would be happy once they were done with this traveling business, as charming as it was.

Beside her Qrow was quiet, his red eyes unusually bright and aware. She figured it must have something to do with his semblance but didn't ask. Ruby was on the other side of her, a bow resting on her lap and a quiver lying by her feet.

The night was perfectly still, save for the clipping and clopping of the team of horses. Summer let out an occasional sound, low and unsettled, and Ruby would make a soothing sound at her. They'd left Travesty a few hours ago, and the moon was high in the sky, full and bright, shading the trees ominously.

Weiss wanted to talk, just to end the silence, but she was reluctant to do so, as if it would be the wrong thing to do. She stole a glance at Ruby, who was endlessly scanning the surrounding area. She had an eased smile on her face.

Weiss sighed, relaxed, and said nothing.

An hour later, a terrible sound of cracking wood erupted all around them. The horses, startled, let out whinnies and the wagon sped up, Qrow shouting and growling as he worked to control them. Ruby already had an arrow trained and ready to let loose. Birds screeched indignantly, taking flight and blotching the moon.

The night rustled, and then silence fell again. Qrow cursed as the horses unwillingly fell back into a careful canter. "Unpleasant." He mumbled. Ruby released the tension on her bowstring and let out a sigh.

"What was that?" Weiss asked, surprised by how high her voice was. Both her hands would have been shaking if she hadn't grabbed the hilt of Myrtenaster so tightly.

"I think," said Qrow, "It was Grimm. Can't be sure, but it sure as hell sounded like them."

Weiss shifted uncomfortably, and was thankful that the little light had hid her reactions from the other two. "Are they going to attack us?"

They came across a fork in the road, and Qrow turned west. "Maybe. Maybe not. Grimm are predictable in that they're unpredictable." He said, and Weiss said nothing after.

Ruby stayed abnormally quiet, her mouth set in a thin line.

It wasn't until the sky had begun to pale that Weiss completely relaxed her muscles. Ruby and Qrow seemed relaxed as well, though the horses were still antsy. All save for Summer, of course. The path they were on lead out of and eventually back into a forest with trees so tall Weiss thought it would take at least forty minutes to climb their lengths. Their foliage diminished the incoming light by a large margin, but they could still see the difference.

As they traveled, Qrow told them about the Hunter's Guild, and explained the desperate need for Weiss' powers. She looked sideways at Ruby with a trace of guilt, pity and curiosity. Ruby didn't comment during any of Qrow's teachings.

Apparently, as the war with the White Fang and Grimm had started to progress, hunters everywhere had either died, gone missing, or even become turncoats. It was a very brutal war, full of loss and suffering, and it made Weiss uncomfortable to think about it.

The day passed and they found themselves still on the road, surrounded on all sides by the thick forest. "Go get comfortable in the back," Qrow suggested to them. "We'll be stopping soon." Both girls got up and retired without any words. Ruby made sure to give Qrow a quick hug, though.

By the time Qrow had stopped the wagon, neither of them had been able to fall asleep. Curled up in the nook they'd made during the re-packing, Ruby and Weiss listened to the oppressive silence all around them, and Weiss shivered against the chill feelings that ran down her spine, as if they were frozen to her.

"Are you still cold?" Ruby asked her after awhile, even as she shifted to make sure Weiss was wrapped more than before in both Ruby's cloak and the blankets.

"No, I'm f-fine, really." Weiss assured her, though her body betrayed her as her teeth clacked together. "I'm not lying." She muttered. Ruby's gestures were nice, but she didn't need the entirety of the covers, which was what Ruby was aiming to do for her.

"Right. I'm not even going to be able to sleep if you don't stop shivering." Said Ruby, and Weiss didn't have anything to say to that. So she let Ruby surrender most of the covers and pile them on top of her. It was a heavy weight.

Then Ruby settled back down, back pressed closer to Weiss than before for the sack of keeping the both warm, and they tried to sleep. Weiss' shivers didn't abate all together, but they began to diminish. Tired as she was, Weiss was still concerned for Ruby's own warmth. "You're not cold, are you?" She asked, feeling foolish. Usually the excessive badgering was Ruby's job.

Ruby made a sound, grunted, then said, "Nah, s'okay, Weiss." Slurring her words. She sounded almost amused to Weiss' ears, and she wondered if she'd been imagining it or not. Despite Ruby's assurance that the chill wasn't getting to her, Weiss still felt compelled to do something. So, her answer was to dig her arms out from the jungle of folds that were the blankets and wrap them around Ruby. The younger girl stiffened at first, then hummed appreciatively.

Minutes later, both were asleep.

* * *

 _ **Hey, guys! Sorry for the lateness; I got caught up in a twoshot. My apologies for the sidetrack! This chapter was pretty boring, yeah? Yeah. the traveling business should be done soon enough, no worries! Thanks for reading and supporting!**_


	9. Arc I: Beacon

Weiss took in her surroundings, admiring Vale in all its great splendour. It had been four days since Sanctuary, and the trees had thinned out as they approached a very large plateau. It was, without a doubt, gorgeous. Qrow had stopped the wagon here to water and feed the team of horses, along with enjoy a brief respite from the road.

A stone, weather worn and lichen-dressed, stood at the edge of the massive overhang. Weiss had inspected it, curious, but neither she nor Ruby could gather anything. When they asked Qrow, he only shrugged and said he knew nothing.

At first, it filled Weiss with a sense of annoyance. Such markers were always important, remnants of some part of history, survivors of an age long past.

She found she didn't care as much when she finally looked past it and saw what was the great land of Vale in all its beauty. As Ruby had foretold, the forests had began to shrink as they drew evermore inland, though they never disappeared, and rose gently with the rolling, green land. From the vantage point, they could spot many small towns, villages, and signals of humanity. What caught and held her attention, though, was what could only be Central Vale.

The great city stood on the middle of the land, built upon a mountain that, curiously, seemed to have been cut smooth near its base. A great path seemed to lead up from the grasslands and into a pair of white, crystalline gates, gilded in what shone like gold from where she stood, green flags waving from the peaks of their towers. A constant stream of people filtered into and out of city.

A wall of white circled the city like a scarf with many parapets and pointed roofs. One massive structure, a great, long tower, speared out from a seemingly random juncture to the right of the wall. The wall itself rose high here, as the tower appeared built into a peak that had remained unscathed.

When she finally gazed into the city, she lost her breath as it fled from her lungs in a gasp. In the farthest end of the city sat a keep so large that it sprawled from one end of the wall to the other, no small feat. It, unlike the rest of the city, held a darker color to its stone. She couldn't see much of the front, but the roof above the center of the great building was white, accented with thin lines of gold that Weiss couldn't quite make out the patterns of. A multitude of thorny towers rose from behind it, flying colors of both white and green. Both wings of the keep seemed to rise upwards, and Weiss assumed the city was built on a set of tiers.

Behind the city, the mountain appeared again, as if it had only had three quarters cut from its body. It towered over the city, and Weiss wondered how large it had once been. She noticed that another building sat in the face of the cleaved mountain, high enough that it was above the city, and wondered about it.

The city was leagues off, and Weiss imagined it would take weeks to get there. Spreading out like a sea from the front gate was a bustling amount of buildings and farmland that rested upon gentle and fertile plains. Eventually terrain proved it impossible to see how far it all reached, long before the tendrils of humanity had stopped. Weiss wasn't wishing for a war between nations, but she was glad that Atlas had their great stores of dust, because she was certain that Vale was a massive force to be reckoned with.

Ruby was smiling at her reaction. "It's amazing, isn't it?" She asked, though the question wasn't necessary. Weiss couldn't even compare anything she'd seen in Atlas to Central Vale, humbling as it was for her to accept it.

"Very," She told her, sincerely. Ruby beamed, made to look as if she was going to leave Weiss alone at the edge of the plateau, and then settled back down into a stationary position. Weiss didn't mind, and paid the actions no attention other than to notice them. They waited there for several long minutes, sweeping the gorgeous landscape with their eyes and respectively imagining what some of the places they could see were like in person. For Weiss, she kept being drawn back to Central Vale.

Her mind was still captivated by its sheer beauty after they'd set back out on the road again, leaving the great view behind for another traveler to discover.

* * *

"They're Grimm." Ruby said solemnly, standing up from her kneeling position. She swept her hand through her bangs and sighed, wishing it was slightly warmer. From above on the wagon, Qrow cursed, and Weiss' mouth grew taught. Ruby moved to stand closer to her, tightening her hand around Thorn's grip.

"Alright, I'll trust your word, kiddo. Damn, this wouldn't be such a bad thing if it wasn't so close to a village." Qrow growled, and Ruby looked at him, unbelieving that he would even entertain not giving chase to the creatures. They were, after all, exactly on the schedule, and people were in danger. It was their job to take care of this, and even if it wasn't it would be the right thing to do.

"Do you think there could be White Fang involved?" Weiss asked, which gave Ruby a pause. Grimm were one thing, but Faunus and humans? She wondered if she could fight other people. The answer made her feel nervous.

After a moment, Qrow shook his head. Ruby sighed inwardly. "We'd have seen tracks of them already as well. No, this is just wild Grimm." The way he said it, so grimly, didn't really make Ruby feel any better about it.

The party of three had stopped on a small rising of hillocks to survey the land, and what they'd seen hadn't pleased them. Paw prints varying in size but all significantly larger than any normal beast's littered the ground, tearing up tuffs of dirt and grass with abandon. It was a very, very large herd of Grimm that had passed through here. The issue was that the Grimm weren't far from a small, nameless Village Qrow knew to be close by, and if any of them knew Grimm, it meant that there was soon to be a bloodshed.

"So then we leave the horses tied up, find the Grimm and kill them, right?" Ruby said, breaking the tense silence that had grown. Qrow looked down at her with eyes that were hard and troubled.

"Ruby, this is no job for one Hunter and two girls who don't even have their semblances. If I wanted to kill myself, I'd have jumped from the plateau." He said, and Ruby scowled.

"Then what? We can't just let them kill all those people!" She said, and Qrow nodded but said nothing. Fear that he'd decide they move on gripped her and motivated her to press on. "If we don't do something, it'll be like killing them ourselves!"

Qrow sighed, and Ruby saw him share a look with Weiss. Weiss turned her gaze downwards, and said nothing. "Ruby, it's a fool's errand. We'd _die._ I'm no coward, and neither are you, but you've got to know that this is suicide." His tone was as harsh as gravel, and Ruby tried and failed to protest.

"We have to do something..." She managed, pleading. She couldn't stand to just leave the situation as is. She thought of the wolves, and a determination to stop this horde of Grimm filled her. "We have to!" She repeated, stronger.

"We shouldn't." Weiss sighed, and when Ruby turned to look at her, she wouldn't meet her eyes with her own. "Ruby, I feel the same way, but it's not worth the risk of our lives." Ruby growled and ground her teeth, looking from Qrow to Weiss to Qrow again. "However," Weiss said, "We could at least find the monsters and see if there's anything to be done."

Ruby straightened her back and looked to Qrow, who was glaring at the heiress. Ruby didn't care; she was so elated to have Weiss be on her side, even if it was only partially, that she wasn't going to give this argument up. Qrow seemed to take notice of this, because after he stared long and hard at Ruby for several moments, he uttered an oath and dipped his head in a nod.

"Fine, we'll go see. Ozpin had better pay me double for the trouble you two are putting me in."

As Ruby re-mounted the wagon and sat beside Weiss, grabbed the other girl's hand and gave it a thankful squeeze.

Weiss didn't seem to notice.

They traveled the road for a while longer, until the tracks veered too far off to the side and left the roadside for the bank of a forest river. The tracks moved in the direction of the village, which was only a few hours off. They were certain, now, that the Grimm were aiming to spill blood tonight. Ruby kept searching the sky for smoke, and listened for the tell tale sounds of a battle.

Qrow drove the wagon into the forest a bit until they found a place with enough foliage to hide it mostly from view. The closer they got to Southern Vale, the more likely it would be to find fellow travelers, and so hiding their wagon was a prudent decision. The horses they took further in, staying on the edge of the bank so that it would be easy to find them should it get difficult to find their way back. They tied them to trees and shushed them, feeding them apples and stroking their manes.

Only after they were certain the equines would be quiet did they set off, picking up the trail and following it as silently as they could. Ruby's pulse quickened and she could hear an incessant pounding within her head. She was, despite her bravado, hesitant to engage such a potentially large pack of Grimm, but it was demanded of her as a huntress, so she steeled herself and pressed on with greater speed, if not as much care.

The first time Ruby heard sounds of Grimm, she had drawn Thorn so harshly that it had almost flew from her grip. Qrow had gotten up and scolded her badly enough that her ears burned red. She was glad for her hood, then.

Then the Grimm came into view, and Ruby's breath hitched in her throat and refused to leave her lungs. They knew of their whereabouts long before they'd ever seen one, and could already tell that the numbers would be far too much for them three to handle. Like the air around her, her blood turned chill.

The grotesque beasts with skulls on their heads had gathered into a horde that had to be in the mid hundreds.

It was terrifying.

Her palms grew sweaty but she made no move to wipe them, holding on instead to Thorn as she half crouched in the shade of a pine. The Grimm, for whatever reason, had stopped, and were growling and grunting and moving like a writhing mass of inky blackness. It made her want to puke. The forest around them had already been trampled and torn to shreds, and a grey tinge seemed to already taint everything, as if the life was being sucked out of the earth beneath their twisted feet.

Beside her, Weiss was watching with wide, unblinking eyes. For her credit, she neither shook nor seemed to lock up like Ruby had. Instead, she seemed ready to either bolt or leap into action at the first sign of the Grimm noticing them. Qrow's only reaction was a face somehow more grim than before.

Neither of them dared make a sound.

After a while, when it seemed the monsters weren't going to notice them, Ruby slipped her bow carefully and quietly off of her shoulder, and placed an arrow ready to be loosed. Qrow grabbed her wrist and held it, giving her a warning look. She understood, and had had no plans to lose an arrow as it was. She just wanted to be prepared.

When Qrow motioned that they head back, Ruby stayed, hesitant. It was only the glare he gave her, a look she'd never before received from her uncle before, that made her reluctantly follow. They crawled at the speed of inchworms through the tall grass and thick branches, careful beyond measure to watch for missteps.

After twenty minutes, Qrow got up off the forest floor and swore an oath so vile Ruby would have blushed if she wasn't otherwise preoccupied. "There's no way we can do anything about that." He said after a moment's pause, and Ruby tightened her grip on Thorn out of frustration. He snapped his eyes to hers and held them with his intensity. "Ruby, I'm sorry, but you're both far too important to throw away for the sake of a small village." He said.

Weiss spoke up, then. "Qrow, Ruby, I thought she wasn't-"

"To hell with what she's not supposed to know." Qrow growled, but didn't say anything afterwards. Ruby, confused and angry, turned on Weiss.

"Not supposed to know what?" She asked, even as she glanced nervously back towards the Grimm.

"Nothing." Qrow snapped, and his voice was so strained that Ruby thought it was wise to not pursue the matter. Not yet, at least.

Weiss put on a stony face and stared Ruby down until she looked away. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see Weiss deflate and an expression of tiredness creep onto her face.

Ruby didn't realize it, but she was growing colder as the day progressed past afternoon and the sky began to glow a faint shade of purple. "There's nothing we can do." Qrow repeated. Ruby stared upwards beyond the tips of the trees, biting hard on her bottom lip. "The best option would be to get to Beacon and arrange a force to quickly take care of this threat."

Ruby swallowed, not wanting to say the words on her tongue. It felt thick and dry in her mouth, and she tried to generate some saliva so that it would work better. "But the people in the village, the mothers, children, babies-"

"Don't guilt trip me!" Qrow snapped harshly, and Ruby was taken aback by the ferocity in his voice. She tried to meet his eyes, but they burned with an anger that made her just as wary of him as she was the Grimm. "These monsters, Ruby, will tear that village apart and everything between it. Nothing, at all, that we do will stop them. We'll only serve to kill a score or two before we're overrun and spread all over the ground as nothing but gore. If we live, and we get Weiss to Beacon, then in the end more Grimm will be slain and more lives will be saved."

Ruby tried to contain her shaking, but it overtook her anyway. A bile rose in her throat as she tried to imagine what kind of horrors the small hamlet was going to face this night, and she had to lean over to the side and empty her guts. When she was done, her eyes stung and her breathing was ragged. A weight fell on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Weiss gripping her shoulder with a look of worry on her face. Ruby shook her head, rolled her shoulder and stepped away from both the gross pool of bile already sinking into the dirt and Weiss.

"Are you alright?" Qrow asked, his voice soft and full of concern.

Ruby breathed deeply, trying to ignore the scent of evil that seemed to exist in the air. Weiss stood off to the side, looking blankly at her feet. "I'm... I'm okay, I guess." Ruby murmured, feeling weak. Her legs, she thought, didn't want to support her. _All those people..._ Her stomach revolted again, and she dry heaved.

 _So many..._

"Come on, let's go." Qrow said, and to Ruby's initial shock, picked her up in one full scoop into a bridal carry. She didn't have the strength, or the will, to fight against him. She rested her head begrudgingly against his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

Sleep never came, but uneasy rest did. Every step Qrow made was jolting, but her aura worked fast to steady her again, and she suspected Qrow was feeding her aura of his own as well. She couldn't wait to get out of the forest, knowing that until she was far from it, she wouldn't feel any better. Perhaps she might not even recover afterwards.

* * *

The night brought with it a terrible quiet that bellied the truth of what Weiss knew was transpiring. They had left the forest behind two hours ago, but once or twice she was sure she'd heard a scream. It made her feel ill.

Qrow was completely unapproachable, shut off from Weiss and drinking heavily from not his flask, but a wineskin she couldn't begin to guess the contents of. Ruby had retired to the back of the wagon immediately after they'd gotten back to the road, and Weiss hadn't felt she should go back to see her. Something told her that Ruby didn't want to see her or anyone right now. No doubt that she was dealing with the turmoil in her heart. Weiss hoped dearly that she'd bounce back to her normal self after a time.

She didn't watch the terrain, busy instead with the phantoms of her mind. Flitting images of burning homes and dead men in torn armour plagued her mind's eye, and she tried to forcibly push them out to no avail. It was Qrow that came to her rescue.

"Hey, Weiss. How're you holding up?" He asked, and Weiss immediately noticed that his voice had a husky tone to it. He was tipsy, at least.

"I'm... Okay." She answered truthfully. She wasn't sure if she liked it, but the thought of the poor folk of some nameless village dying didn't bother her nearly as much as it did Ruby. "I wish we could have at least done a little bit."

"It would have killed us."

"I know."

"Humph." Qrow grunted, pressing the wineskin to his lips, growling a moment later and tossing it out to the side where it vanished in the grass and was lost to sight. "She's going to be feeling this for a while." He said, and Weiss nodded, though she didn't know if he saw it. He didn't show signs of seeing her movement, at least. "Think she'll forgive us?"

Weiss smiled more for his sake than her own. "Probably. I think I know her well enough to assume she'll come around."

Qrow dipped his head towards her, and his tension seemed to ease just a bit. "I feel like I'm experiencing déjà vu." He said with a humourless chuckle. "It's not the first time I've been through this particular rodeo."

Weiss stared at him, noting how the half moon illuminated only half of his face, making him look even more uncharacteristically sinister than normal. "What do you mean?" She asked, wondering if there had ever been another case such as Ruby's.

"I mean," He said, with a heavy sigh, "That I've been through this ridiculous need to be a hero before, with someone else."

"Who?" Weiss asked, her interest piqued. Up ahead, Summer shook her head from side to side and snorted. The other horses made quiet sounds at her.

Qrow said nothing for a bit, focusing instead on the road. Eventually he said, "Keep her safe, Weiss. They grow on you, those silver eyes, and trust me, if you lose them, you're going to regret it. Deeply."

Weiss' skin prickled, goose bumps raising along her arms and legs and back. She denied a shiver. "Pardon?"

Qrow growled, and turned a glowing eye to her. "Don't allow her her fantasies. Don't let her believe that life is some fairy tale or that she can save anyone." He paused, searched for his wineskin with one hand, cursed and drew out his flask from his coat. "Because she'll try, and when she finally bites too much, you'll both suffer for it. Don't," He said, punctuating the word harshly, "Loose her. If you must, throw yourself in her place and take the hit instead."

Weiss blinked, feeling as if Qrow wasn't just talking to her anymore, but to himself as well. It felt to her like he'd heard and said these words before.

"Qrow..."

He took a swig from his flask, a long, deep one, and took it away with a sigh. "What, Schnee?"

"Who... Who was her parents?"

Qrow growled, screwing up the cap of his flask and stashing it within his coat again. "Don't ask me that ever again, Schnee. Ever." His use of her surname was harsh, and Weiss nodded her head in what felt like apology, but she couldn't be sure.

With that, they fell into silence, until eventually Weiss got up and left for troubled sleep full of nightmares and fire. Throughout all her dreams, which mostly consisted of fighting endless hordes of Grimm, she had the most terrible urge to protect a silver jewel that she always had with her, stashed within the folds of her leathers.

A week passed by, uneventful. The party was sombre, but on this last day, they'd seen something that lifted their spirits, the first thing since the terrible Grimm horde. Off in this far distance when Ruby had rode ahead on Summer, climbing a long hill, she'd reported a great cliff separated from the rest of the land by a huge lake of water, and on it sat the silhouette of a castle.

"Beacon." Qrow said, and a hint of a smile touched his face, which was worn and carved with lines of stress and worry. He had relaxed so completely that he'd even let out a small chuckle out of randomness. Ruby was delighted; it was impossible to tell she'd been upset in the first place. Their moods helped Weiss recover, as well, and soon she was feeling more normal as she lazily flipped through the pages of a journal she'd burrowed from Qrow, detailing a lot of Grimm and their weaknesses.

"What's it like? How many people are there? Am I going to learn how to use my semblance as soon as we get there?" She pestered Qrow, riding beside him on Summer, who seemed glad to be separate from the wagon team.

"Boring, not many, and something like that." He replied shortly, and Ruby stuck a tongue out at him.

By the time midday rolled around, the Beacon cliff was perfectly visible for them all to see. Weiss was impressed. It would take a great climber to scale it, and the length of the lake would make it even harder to do so after swimming across. This brought up a worry, and she wondered how they were possibly going to get across to the other side.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Qrow said with a mischievous chuckle, and Weiss huffed. Summer had joined the team again, unwillingly of course, and Ruby had taken her seat between the two. She had a grip on Weiss' wrist, and Weis was surprised when she could feel the essence of her aura, warm and sweet and buzzing with excitement. It wasn't unheard of for someone with little aura control to not be able to effectively seal it away from the rest of world, but she thought Ruby was exceptionally skilled in such things.

When they got to the lake, Weiss was once again impressed by the many marvels of Vale. The water was so clear and sparkling that, astonishingly, she could see the lake's floor, and it was quite a drop. The cliff rose what she imagined must have been two hundred feet above the ground they stood on, and from what Weiss could tell, there was so direct path from here to there. Qrow parked the wagon, put his feet up, let out a sigh and grinned casually.

Weiss watched him quietly at first, as did Ruby. Ruby's aura changed from excited to antsy and then to annoyed in the span of a few seconds, which affected Weiss, as well. The feeling was weird and alien, and she pulled her wrist away from Ruby and excused the action by running both hands through her hair. The absence of Ruby's aura left her feeling more connected and whole, like she was now herself and not a mixture of two people, and she shivered at the memory of the odd feeling. She didn't think Ruby could feel her own aura, either.

After waiting ten minutes, Ruby said something first. "Now what?"

"Now," Qrow said, shifting and seemingly making himself more comfortable, "We wait."

"For?" Weiss asked, impatiently searching the cliff for signs of something they could be possibly waiting for.

"Glynda, of course." He said, and Ruby perked up.

"The legendary huntress? Goodwitch, Ozpin's assistant?"

"Pfft," Qrow said, looking at Ruby with an expression of ludicrousness. "She's his equal, if not even more powerful than he is. You'll see what she can do." He said, and Ruby looked around with uncontained excitement.

Any thoughts about aura left Weiss' mind as she wondered at the power of this Goodwitch. Anyone to gather the praise of Qrow like that must be strong, and anyone who was regarded as equal or stronger than one of Remant's four great Hunters must be unimaginably powerful.

The minutes passed, and still nothing. Ruby fidgeted uncontrollably, small little huffs escaping her lips at irregular intervals. Weiss eventually got tired of it and dropped from the wagon to the grassy ground, deigning to pay attention to the horses. She stroked the ear of a palomino, the back horse on the left, and the beast leaned into her hand appreciatively. She giggled when it began to loll its tongue out at the side, like a dog might, and regretted that she hadn't spent more time with the creatures.

Her thoughts randomly turned to Atlas, Coldfront in particular, and she wondered what her father would think of her. She'd already been part of the salvation of an Atlas settlement. A disturbing thought struck her then, one that twanged a deep chord in her being and made her consider everything from a different light. She had felt such a strong urge to protect those people, her people. She thought it might have been stronger because it had actually been possible, but she thought about how little she really wanted to help the Vale villagers, as if it would have been like helping the enemy.

She felt, for maybe the first time, as if she had a flaw in her being.

She moved on to pet and scratch the rest of the team, giving Summer an even longer pet than the rest, and she rolled her eyes happily at her. Then she came back to the wagon, and moved to get up.

"Hello, Qrow, Ruby, Weiss." A positively female voice rang out, a voice that sounded like bells and power all rolled into one fierce, independent package. Weiss jumped, whirled around, and moved to draw Myrtenaster from her waist. "Ah, that won't be necessary, Miss Schnee." The woman said, and Weiss was thrown off guard when she attempted to draw the rapier but it wouldn't budge.

"Ah, Glynda. Nice of you to finally show up."

 _Oh._

Weiss released her grip on Myrtenaster immediately, standing tall and straight. Ruby let out a squeal and leapt from her seat to stand beside Weiss. "Look!" She said, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her to face the cliff. There was no feeling of Ruby's aura, but Weiss hardly noticed anyways.

A woman gently touched ground in front of them. Her hair was done up in a tight bun at the back, and a slight spiral of blonde locks that hung to the left of her face bounced as she reached solid footing. She had a riding crop in one hand, perfectly straight and glossy, and wore a white blouse, a black skirt and high leather boots. Most interesting was the cape that hung from her shoulders, inky black on the outside and royal purple within, ending in stylized shapes of flames and arrows. A pair of small glasses rested on her nose, and her eyes were green, deep and wise, but powerful, as well. She held such an air of authority that she couldn't even picture Qrow disobeying.

Weiss had never seen such a woman, other than perhaps her own mother. She swallowed and bowed, but Glynda paid her no heed.

"Speak for yourself." She snapped, crossing her arms against her chest. "Ozpin expected you back five hours before now."

Qrow shrugged, grinning still. "We had a setback. A setback, mind you, that is of utmost importance and should be talked about as soon as manageable."

Glynda was silent, then gave a curt nod. "Very well, then. Come, let us be done with this quickly. Leave the wagon, we'll send someone down for the horses later."

"What about Summer?" Ruby asked, and Glynda looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. A look of confusion and then recognition crossed her face.

"She can wait here with the rest. Summer will be well taken care of."

Ruby nodded, though she looked at the mare with apologetic eyes.

Weiss was still unsure how it was they'd be getting up to Beacon. That was, until, Glynda raised her arm and with a flick of her crop, her entire body glowed a deep purple and the lake replicated the color like a shimmering gem. Weiss' breath hitched when a great, stone walkway began to rise from the depths at a great speed, breaking the surface with a great roar and splash, though no sprinkle touched the four of them.

Pillars, seemingly untouched by the water and made of white marble, climbed with the walkway. The stairs themselves were of a pale green color, though they appeared to be made of stone, worn and cracked. A bronze, shiny railing traced the steps all the way to the top of the cliff, where the stairs seemed to end and connect with the cliff.

The entire construct glowed purple the entire time, until with nary a whisper the radiance subsided and the great stairwell sat glued in place. The purple around Glynda disappeared as well, and Weiss was amazed. That had to have been her semblance, but the woman looked as if she hadn't even exerted any effort to lift the thing into place.

Beside her, Qrow chuckled. "Heh, show-off. You _could_ have flown us up there."

Glynda scowled at him, and Weiss wondered what kind of addle brained inbred moron would dare raise the ire of such a powerful woman. "You were dearly missed, Qrow." She said sarcastically, and Qrow let out another chuckle.

Ruby was beside herself with excitement, and couldn't drag her eyes off of the stone steps.

"Come along, Miss Rose. This way if you please, Miss Schnee." Glynda said, taking the first step. The two girls, with Qrow, obediently fell in behind.

Weiss was numb with anticipation and, dare she say it, giddiness. She had the absurd urge to grab Ruby's hand and run with her all the way to top, all some odd thousand steps. It was an inexplicable feeling, and one she decidedly ignored, for the sake of not looking like a fool.

"You're going to enjoy it, Weiss." Qrow told her, with a grin. "Beacon compares well to any other castle, if you ask me."

"It's not a castle, Qrow. It's an institute and a headquarters." Glynda corrected him, and he scoffed.

"As far as I can tell, this is pretty much a castle." He said again, and Glynda huffed. Weiss, already picking up on the dynamic, couldn't help but smile. It impressed her how much she'd come to like Qrow, and that she could ever possibly appreciate such a vulgar man gave her hope that perhaps she wasn't as bad as she thought herself to be.

As they climbed the steps, Weiss looked over the edge of the railing, and was able to perfectly make out the underside of the bridge in the reflection of the water, which still dripped and caused ripples in the surface.

"Isn't this exciting?" Ruby asked her, grabbing her wrist. Weiss flinched when the feeling of Ruby's aura brushed against her own again, but Ruby either didn't notice or didn't care, because she didn't let go of her grip. Her entire being was vibrating with the excitement that now mirrored itself in Weiss, and she nodded a little too sharply.

"I'm eager to see what Beacon truly looks like." Weiss said in a controlled voice, and wished Ruby would withdraw her hand.

"Mm." Ruby said with a nod, and grinned at Weiss. When Weiss smiled back, she felt Ruby's aura change almost imperceptibly, like there was a sudden itch of emotion there that hadn't existed before. Weiss jerked her arm away and rubbed the spot Ruby had been holding, who was now looking at her with an expression of hurt and confusion.

"Sorry," Weiss murmured, quiet so that neither Qrow or Glynda would hear, "I'll talk to you about it later, okay?" A shadow crossed Ruby's face, but she nodded and looked away without pressing. Weiss wondered just how much Ruby had forgotten that village they'd left to its fate, and the conversation that had been held.

In the last few minutes, they'd climbed a lot of the steps, and Gylnda announced, "We're close to the top, now. If you've the mind to, girls, I'd suggest paying attention to the path ahead. Beacon is, after all, a sight to behold." At the sound of her voice Weiss did as told, out of both natural respect and because she was supernaturally compelled, almost, to listen.

Beacon was, after all, everything she thought it would be and more.

The steps ended at the beginning of a circular dais made of weathered stone. Her hard-soled boots clicked solidly on the surface, and the noise echoed loudly along the Cliffside. The round platform was surrounded by a ring of thin pillars, all connected by slim stone. The dais ended in a walkway which lead straight to Beacon itself. In between them and the great building was a statue showing a man and a woman, both fierce and standing above the form of a Beowulf, the wolf like creature of Grimm. The man held a sword in his hand, lofting it above his head in what seemed like triumph. The woman stood leaning on a battle ax, staring, it seemed, at nothing.

Behind that was the impressively large set of double doors that was the entrance, Weiss assumed. The walls rose to great heights, breaking off into smaller subsections and miniature towers with small peaks. The entire campus was decorated in aqueduct-like-structures and leafy trees, and the walkway was lined with long, black poles, all flying a pale green flag with the emblem of two crossed axes on their surfaces.

"Look," Ruby breathed, and pointed upwards. Weiss followed the direction of her gaze and widened her eyes. Reaching high like the limb of a giant, a tower thrust out of the building and into the clouds, massive in size and glowing green against the blue sky. Whatever created the strange luminosity, Weiss couldn't be sure, but it had quite a profound effect on her and Ruby.

Beacon was, without a doubt, a wondrous marvel of architecture.

"Welcome to Beacon, ladies." Glynda said, and with a flick of her wand, Weiss heard the stony bridge behind them fall and crash with a loud boom.

* * *

 ** _Hi! Writing this chapter was both difficult and enjoyable. Landscape, for one thing, is not my strongest point._**

 ** _Introducing Glynda, and soon to be a lot more characters, has me excited. I'm looking forward to JNPR! The only thing I have to say that's even partially important is that I'm unsure whether or not I'll be on hiatus to write most of Arc II before posting it. It'll result in a higher quality story, I feel, or perhaps it won't. If you've got any thoughts on the matter, feel free to include them in a review or whatnot, or heck, hit me up with a PM._**

 ** _I hope you guys are enjoying Inheritance. I'll cya all with a new chapter sometime soon, I hope!_**


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